Anybody know about this tiger?

Looks pretty sweet. Hope it checks out well for you. Paint code would be good if you buy the car and decide to get rid of the chrome headlight rings. :)

Good luck!
 
Kevin, nice looking car. Check for rust and bring a refrigerator magnet and check the lower body areas for any filler. Good luck.
 
The likelihood of finding a restored vintage British, or for that matter, any country-of-origin-car, without filler of some sort is only marginally better than finding freshly-minted three dollar bills. So I guess the question becomes how much filler and how well was it applied.
 
My point was that if the filler is thick enough to not let a magnet stick then it's too thick and the chances of failure are pretty good. You also have to wonder if it's covering a big dent or rust.
 
I remember restoring my Mk5 Alpine, removing the underbody black stuff showed silver, yep silver paper stuffed into the rust holes. At the time I was able to buy inner fender panels from Britain. Much welding after. Then I found the huge dent filled with 2" of bog. Yep still has that 2" of filler.
 
Bad filler

This wasn't a Sunbeam, but 8 years ago I was looking at a BMW that was a reasonable price and seemed to look pretty good. I normally NEVER do this to someone else's car, and I'm glad I did, but we were settling the deal, and I leaned on the trunk with my elbow and cracked open a huge dent that was stuffed with cardboard and bondo over the top of it. Needless to say I just walked away. I just shared because it's kinda funny to look back on ;)
 
Missed approach!!!

Drove 2-1/2 hours out, and 2-1/2 hours back with 3 kids in the back. Car looked great, but something looked amiss in the battery box door / fuel panel access area. Fuel pump wasn't a SU type, and the fuel pump mount bracket had zinc screws holding it in. Also the rocker panels just didn't look right in a few areas. Left door edges didn't seat right. The seams under the tail lights were filled in too. The front looked very Tiger. But overall... i just didn't have a good feeling.

What I realized -- I had no flipping idea what specific things to look for in the rear of a Tiger.

What I realized -- a TAC judging may have made a huge difference in the sale or no-sale of this car.

What I realized -- I'm gonna put my Alpine back together as an Alpine and steer (with poor ackerman angle) toward a real Tiger somehow.

Bed time for me and the lil' ones...
Cheers all - Kevin

Edit: I'm not saying there is something nefarious with this car, but just that I'm not comfortable with plunking down premium price when I can't be 100% sure what I'm looking at. More homework required...
 
Where Tigers are being priced now....NWIH would I buy one without a TAC or Tiger expert taking a look.
 
The car looks good in the pics , there could be more detail in them .

Funny story : I have a friend who bought a 69 Mustang drop top a few years back , I was supposed to go with her to look at the car but had work , so she went on her own and fell in love with it . She had planned a trip in the car , and on the way she stopped by my place to visit . The car was on a flat bed with the gas tank hanging out the bottom ! The trunk floor was " Paper Mache " that had been covered in spray bomb under coat ...and when she put her suitcase in , the gas tank fell through ........ She still has the car , now restored , and still loves it . But will Never go car shopping alone again !!!!
 
Study

There is a certain level you can learn at the desktop then its get down and get dirty. The report I got on it was from a person who did not put the car up, pull carpets back and otherwise wriggle under a car on jack stands. Such limited inspection results pollute the waterhole. Pick up the roster and visit your CAT buddies who have a car. You should also post pics or take plenty when viewing so if you have a ? you can axe us.

Duke you are G.U.
 
This has been a great learning experience if noting else. Once I get my Alpine put back together and out the hangar door then I'll start looking again in earnest.
In the mean time I want to start looking at real tac'd Tigers so that I can learn what to look for.:D
Cheers! -Kevin
 
Forrest39 said:
This has been a great learning experience if noting else. Once I get my Alpine put back together and out the hangar door then I'll start looking again in earnest.
In the mean time I want to start looking at real tac'd Tigers so that I can learn what to look for.:D
Cheers! -Kevin
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Hi Kevin,

I was in Bill Martins shop when you called on Sunday and I'm glad that you are taking his advice. I will have my Tiger back in my Carmel shop after we return from Sunni around the 7th baring any delays along the way. My Tiger is TAC #23 so send me a PM when you are ready to look at details and I'd be happy to show you my Tiger. Hollister is maybe 35 minutes away !!!

Moondoggie
 
Well if the info given about 2 owners is correct one of them owned it for quite some time or at least one of them owned it at least 25 years. It has black plates which weren't issued after 1970. How long has the current owner owned the car?

Did you ask why it was being sold at a loss? Or if there was an interest getting it TAC'd (can't expect it to be done then and there to make the sale of course, just a question to [have] ask[ed])? The VIN plate attachment is an issue if it has been repainted. Are the correct rivets used? Does paint go under VIN plate or was it masked off. If it is a conversion the guy probably has what he's selling it for into it already. Why got to all that trouble to take a loss or just break even? Any maintenance records?

I see a generator so it appears to have the correct body panel there for a Tiger. Looks used but well maintained maybe freshened up a bit here and there but not made to look proper or perfectly correct. Now-a-days I think most Tiger owners know what makes their car a Tiger and would be willing and able to point them out.

I wouldn't be too concerned about how doors fit they can be adjusted or if there are new screws or an incorrect fuel pump. I've had mine over 35 years and think there are a couple filled seams but still don't know for sure and recently the battery door was in the way for something I was working on so drilled out the rivets and is now reattached with new bolts and nuts.

If there's really an issue with the rocker panels might be a good reason to walk away but otherwise may be a decent buy. Looks good from my armchair viewpoint but I also like what I see in Cobrakidz "new" beater.

Just my 2 bits worth. Good luck.
 
Thanks!!!

Moondoggie said:
Hi Kevin,

I was in Bill Martins shop when you called on Sunday and I'm glad that you are taking his advice. I will have my Tiger back in my Carmel shop after we return from Sunni around the 7th baring any delays along the way. My Tiger is TAC #23 so send me a PM when you are ready to look at details and I'd be happy to show you my Tiger. Hollister is maybe 35 minutes away !!!

Moondoggie
Click to expand...

That's a very kind offer and I will definitely take you up on it when schedules permit! Bill struck the precise nerve when he told me "the only time I would use an Alpine for any kind of V8 Sunbeam is if it's a race car and radical changes are practical"... or something to that effect anyway.
I'm the first to say that I'm not that smart. and that in my old age (senile at 46...) I have learned to value qualified opinions. With Bill's patience it became clear to me that he really knew what he was talking about. I'm all for bucking the crowd and doing radical mechanical things but perhaps this one just was the wrong fight. I haven't passed the point of no return with my Alpine so I will get that squared away and moved on before taking the next step. I am out of hangar space anyway!

Cheers! -Kevin
 
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