Moss and VB Tiger/Alpine parts

Austin Healer said:
I get my valances from Jeff Howarth in the UK. the only thing I can complain about is that the hole for the starter handle is slightly smaller than the original. I had no problem, at all, fitting it.
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You can always use the starter motor if the starter handle won’t fit because the hole is too small 😊
 
Austin Healer said:
I get my valances from Jeff Howarth in the UK. the only thing I can complain about is that the hole for the starter handle is slightly smaller than the original. I had no problem, at all, fitting it.
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I seriously doubt that anyone judging a car is going to measure the opening for the hand crank.
 
Austin Healer said:
I bought a couple myself... I told the guys at Moss they'd sell them all in a week... they were mighty surprised!
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Sean:
We appreciate your working with MOSS in trying to get them to see the value in Sunbeam parts. It seems you are dealing with people who are not very decisive nor are they in a hurry to embrace our brand. If we all press MOSS with requests to release more VB parts, maybe someone in charge at MOSS will respond. Let us know what we can do to help.
Rick
 
RIX260 said:
Sean:
We appreciate your working with MOSS in trying to get them to see the value in Sunbeam parts. It seems you are dealing with people who are not very decisive nor are they in a hurry to embrace our brand. If we all press MOSS with requests to release more VB parts, maybe someone in charge at MOSS will respond. Let us know what we can do to help.
Rick
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I keep hammering away at them. only took alittle more than three years to get them to release the windshields!! they've never dealt with Sunbeams or Rootes group parts, so an unknown for them. maybe out of their comfort zone. I get the impression tha they only bought out VB to eliminate the competition.
 
Austin Healer said:
sure did! held against the bulkhead behind the spare tire
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Series 1 thru 4 had the hand crank. Series 5 Alpines that came to the states did not have a hand crank. The series 5 was the basis of the MK 1A and MK 2 Tigers.
 
Austin Healer said:
I keep hammering away at them. only took alittle more than three years to get them to release the windshields!! they've never dealt with Sunbeams or Rootes group parts, so an unknown for them. maybe out of their comfort zone. I get the impression tha they only bought out VB to eliminate the competition.
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The quality of many of the Sunbeam parts was the big problem. They have now dropped many parts out of the LMC truck inventory. This started after Long passed away several years ago.
 
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Bullypit said:
Hope it fits. The one I put in my MKII worked fine, the one I just put in my MKIA was a real struggle - suspect it was out of spec...
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It's been a known fact that there is a difference in thickness between the originals and the VB items. It's not much but that doesn't mean they won't fit other than they just don't fit correctly in the seal sold by Sunbeam suppliers. Their early Alpine screens didn't fit right in the original style of seal either.
 
65beam said:
It's been a known fact that there is a difference in thickness between the originals and the VB items. It's not much but that doesn't mean they won't fit other than they just don't fit correctly in the seal sold by Sunbeam suppliers. Their early Alpine screens didn't fit right in the original style of seal either.
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I found that with the w/s I bought from Sunbeam Specialties that the mirror buffer fell short of the glass. In the past I never had this issue with windshields I bought from Victoria British. Obviously, this is not an issue with series 4 Alpines or Mk1 Tigers as they do not have a rubber rear view mirror buffer. I have installed 3 w/s from Rick and all three had this issue. I have a couple of VB old stock w/s and will report on how they fit when I install one.
 
Austin Healer said:
I found that with the w/s I bought from Sunbeam Specialties that the mirror buffer fell short of the glass. In the past I never had this issue with windshields I bought from Victoria British. Obviously, this is not an issue with series 4 Alpines or Mk1 Tigers as they do not have a rubber rear view mirror buffer. I have installed 3 w/s from Rick and all three had this issue. I have a couple of VB old stock w/s and will report on how they fit when I install one.
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You'll find that some of the reproduction mirror buffers are not the same length as originals. I have several used originals as well as the reproductions that show the difference so with the slight difference in the glass thickness and add on the shorter reproduction buffer length there is a small gap. I used one of my hole punches the size of the buffer base and cut a piece out of a rubber mouse pad and super glued it to the buffer. It's impossible to see in this photo but it sets tight to the windshield and there is no vibration of the mirror.

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Nonsense... I have never had an issue with the mirror buffers I have bought from Rick.... as long as I used them with the VB windshields. It has only been with the w/s sourced from Pilkington, or Rick that I have had this problem. I have bought the w/s supplied by VB from 1993 on. The buffers and seals from Rick for at least as long. This problem reared it's head about 4 years ago and I have had universal failure of the rear view mirror buffer contacting the glass since. I bought a couple of the VB old stock from Moss. When I fit one to a Mk1a or MK2 I will report on how it fits... or doesn't
 
I thought I'd go out and check my MK1a ... Rick's buffer fits nice and tight. My windshield says 'Pilkington' and was sourced by my local glass shop about 8 years ago . I helped them install it and was relieved that the frame was rust free !
The bad news was that I had ordered a VB one on sale a couple years before that and had the glass shop store it. I went back there when it was time to install and they pulled it out of that nice foam filled box and it had a crack coming up from the bottom that wasn't on it when I took it there !!! They did some 'fancy footwork' and my old windshield developed an instant crack:rolleyes: ( only had wiper scratches before that ) and that turned it into an 'insurance' job which cost me the deductable and they would only order from the insurance company's 'preferred' vendor and the Pilkington one showed up
Not sure if makes a difference but the mirror mount also has the visor mount behind it
...another thing I recall was VB sent me a rubber mount that was just a loop with a channel and totally useless!! Got a proper one from Rick with the molded lower corners and it fit perfect!

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There have been different length mirror buffers over the years. The longer one is SS #IP63 bought 05/95. The other was bought In 2013 when we restored the green car. I write a date on labels of all parts I buy for my stock so I know which part is the oldest if I have multiple pieces.
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