I'm new to the Tiger World!

chapron67

New forum user
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3
Hello,

I have a number of interesting European cars and recently came across what is purportedly to be a 2 owner, very original Tiger, that even sports its original paint (which I'm always very skeptical of!). That said, it really does look amazing and hasn't been moved for 20+ years so I have a few questions that might help me figure it out.

It's a 1966 Mk1A...

1. the bolts that hold the bracket for the hood onto the frame -- should they be painted, or not? ie. when the painted the car new did these bolts go on before final paint, or after?
2. it has a little Chrysler logo on the bottom of the front passenger fender. Correct?
3. are there photos on the internet of the proper rivets for the JAL and VIN plate?
4. Was the JAL number plate painted over in body paint or screwed on after factory paint (ie. shiny metal)?
5. Did some cars have different brake boosters (up by the passenger bulkhead)? This one doesn't look like others in photos I've found of original cars.
6. The sticker on the valve cover with engine data is gone on the right side cover. Were they sometimes on the left cover?
7. is the hood stay painted or chromed?
8. it has rims that look like mini-lites but say Sunbeam Tiger V8 (with a dot between the V and the 8) with a image of a tiger on the left and a winner's flag on the right. Were these optional back in the day?

I'll have it checked out as an authentic Tiger after I determined it's in highly original condition.. anything else I should check? I can get the car on a lift.

Thanks!
 

HolyCat

Gold forum user
CAT Member
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1,241
Some Answers

I can answer some of your questions, but will leave it to others where I am not 100% sure.
Hello,

I have a number of interesting European cars and recently came across what is purportedly to be a 2 owner, very original Tiger, that even sports its original paint (which I'm always very skeptical of!). That said, it really does look amazing and hasn't been moved for 20+ years so I have a few questions that might help me figure it out.

It's a 1966 Mk1A...

1. the bolts that hold the bracket for the hood onto the frame -- should they be painted, or not? ie. when the painted the car new did these bolts go on before final paint, or after? I am not sure.
2. it has a little Chrysler logo on the bottom of the front passenger fender. Correct? This is probably correct. The pentastar started showing up on Mk 1As after Chrysler took controlling interest. The star was carried over onto the Mk IIs.
3. are there photos on the internet of the proper rivets for the JAL and VIN plate? The JAL plate was held in place by screws. Having the VIN plate and JAL plate off the car MIGHT indicate that the car started off as an Alpine. Getting it inspected - as you plan to do - before you put a lot more money into the car would be a good idea.
4. Was the JAL number plate painted over in body paint or screwed on after factory paint (ie. shiny metal)? Painted body color
5. Did some cars have different brake boosters (up by the passenger bulkhead)? This one doesn't look like others in photos I've found of original cars. Some folks threw away their original Girling brake booster when it had problems instead of having it rebuilt. There is a Lockheed booster that is commonly used as a replacement, since the Girling unit is no longer available (except 2nd hand). Some of our Sunbeam parts supplier do provide the Lockheed unit as a replacement for the Girling.
6. The sticker on the valve cover with engine data is gone on the right side cover. Were they sometimes on the left cover?I have only seen them on the right side.
7. is the hood stay painted or chromed? Painted
8. it has rims that look like mini-lites but say Sunbeam Tiger V8 (with a dot between the V and the 8) with a image of a tiger on the left and a winner's flag on the right. Were these optional back in the day?These do not sound like the Sunbeam optional wheels. You can buy repo stickers of the emblem installed on the optional wheels and your description sounds like them. For what the optional wheels look like, got to http://www.tigersunited.com/resources/parts_service/lat.asp

I'll have it checked out as an authentic Tiger after I determined it's in highly original condition.. anything else I should check? I can get the car on a lift.
Some of the items commonly missing on a car include the original wooden steering wheel (no emblem in the center), the radiator shroud, and the air filter housing.
Thanks!

Good luck with your car!
 
Last edited:

0neoffive

Gold forum user
CAT Member
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2,853
To add Noise

Gather up the Serial & JAL #'s, plus the tranny tag # and rear end stamping # (under the pinion) and forward them to the Tiger registry for some verification and maybe a bit of ownership history. Just sayin'
 

HolyCat

Gold forum user
CAT Member
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1,241
A Couple of Other Things

When you put your car up on the rack, there are a couple other things you might want to check - for your safety, not originality.

Check the mounts for the rear springs. They are a known weak point and subject to cracking. Include the area where the weld-on traction bars are mounted (if your car had this option installed).

Check the various parts of the front cross member for signs of cracking, especially around the towers.

Inspect the A-arm fulcrum pins for signs of cracking, especially if the car has been driven hard.

It is always a good idea to double check the torque on all of the bolts and nuts on your front suspension. Accidents have happened when something came loose while the car was in being driven.
 

chapron67

New forum user
Messages
3
1. the bolts that hold the bracket for the hood onto the frame -- should they be painted, or not? ie. when the painted the car new did these bolts go on before final paint, or after?

I think this should tell me what I need to know... is anyone 100% sure if the bolts were painted at the factory before, or after, the hood brackets were installed? ie. should the bolts be body paint covered / colour or shiny?

Thanks.
 

Warren

Gold forum user
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3,872
98%

Seen several pro restored cars and the bolts are left unpainted. I have an original paint SV Alpine and I can report on those bolts later. Are your fuel tank bolts painted ?
Please post some pictures of the car and list a first name and last initial and city/state.
 

chapron67

New forum user
Messages
3
Hoping someone has an original paint Tiger that can answer conclusively — or maybe they did both methods during production? Perhaps someone can give me an email of an original tiger expert to ask directly?

I don’t have photos to share.

I’m Greg in WA.

Thanks!

Seen several pro restored cars and the bolts are left unpainted. I have an original paint SV Alpine and I can report on those bolts later. Are your fuel tank bolts painted ?
Please post some pictures of the car and list a first name and last initial and city/state.
 
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