Tiger ID Help

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BigMike

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Howdy Y'all!

So I was left with a lot of cars and car parts that I have been identifying.... I am now starting to work on the Sunbeam lot, three 1965 Tigers and a ton of parts.... looking for some help in ID'ing some stuff, first up:

1965 Sunbeam Tiger - Yellow
This Tiger is in excellent condition, especially when compared to the other two. A few features about this one: It has a bubble in the hood to make room for a larger intake manifold. This intake manifold is marked COBRA as seen in the photos. I havent been able to get to the block stamping yet, but while lookinf for it I noticed that the oil pan is also stamped COBRA. The harmonic balancer appears to be very wide - was told to check this as someone is guessing its a hi-po 289. The car currently does not have wheels on the front but the backs are very flat (no tread) slicks.

What, if anything I realize, can anyone tell me about this car? I would like to learn as much about it as I can before I make any decisions as to what to do with it.... thank you all
 
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Stampings

Only the VIN tag and build date and JAL are visible from the top.
For a definitive answer as to the condition of the block you'll need to look for some other stamping numbers.
You'll need to remove the starter and look there plus on the passenger side of the block, just under the cylinder head you'll be able to find a VIN number if it was from a K-Code car. Dropping the oil pan as messy as that sounds will reveal the hipo rod caps. It is very possible to have a K-Code motor without the VIN number stamped in the block. while you're under there you'll be able to get the transmission number and the differential number. Take pictures of them while you're under there. It never ceases to amaze me how many of these cars were just parked and forgotten. It'd be nice to move this to your tiger's story as soon as you get some of ID numbers.

I don't think a Cobra marked manifold or oil pan is particularly valuable since you can still buy them today.

Thank you for posting.
 
ID help

Do you have any pictures of the whole car, plus the Vin tag holds lots of info and may be helpful in I.D.ing the history of the car.
 
Looks like a Ford dual point distributor, which is a good sign for a 289 HP, but not conclusive. Without pulling a valve cover, look for a 19, 20, or 21 cast in the location as shown in pic. If stamped with a K VIN, it's located on front right of block, above the oil pan rail, below the block drain plug.
 

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Thank you for those that helped.

I apologize for not posting in the correct area of the forum.

Not trying to sell anything and not trying to scam a membership in anyway.

Take care everyone.
 
Couple of More Items

It appears in the engine bay photo that the stiffening rib across the firewall (I don't know the "correct" term) might have a section cut out to provide clearance for a carb.

The hood has rounded corners at the rear. This means the car is likely a Mk I and not a Mk IA. Cannot see if the rear bottom corners on the doors and the bottom corners on the trunk lid are also rounded. If all are rounded, then it is a Mk I.

Based on the decals and the non-stock tach, it appears that a previous owner was interested in going fast. That would support the POSSIBILITY that your engine might be a hipo 289, but more "digging" will be needed to ascertain which engine is installed.

I am not sure, but your car might have an alternator instead of the generator that would have originally came on your car.

Be sure to inspect the front crossmember for cracking that can occur at high-stress areas. Also, check underneath your car to make sure the frame members do not exhibit rust that needs to be taken care of. Also, in the past owners would "open up" the exhaust pipe "pass throughs" in the frame members, weakening the frame.
 
Pre crossover body MKI, hood boxes in the rear amd non GT doors.

Appears to have a hurst quick shift kit and as noted has had the ledge on front scuttle notched for clearance at some point.
 
Notch

I've whacked a couple pieces off for my pals who had the same hack job.
I remember taking a Sawzall to more than one car at the owners request. It's all part of the Patina ;)
 
BigMike said:
Thank you for those that helped.

I apologize for not posting in the correct area of the forum.

Not trying to sell anything and not trying to scam a membership in anyway.

Take care everyone.
Click to expand...

Mike, don't let us scare you off! :). We love seeing pics of cars stashed away and looking at the details of what makes Tigers unique, and what mods previous owners have done, if any. I'm guessing it's seen its share of quarter mile runs and you may even find an old time slip hidden somewhere inside. Definitely looks like something that could be put back on the road again with the right work, including a good inspection of the rear end and mounting points. Lots of Tiger knowledge here and helpful advice just for the asking. As mentioned, VIN tag pics would be helpful.

And you can always go to www.tirost.com and the Request Car Details link to get more info on your cars. Norman Miller maintains the Tiger registry and may be able to tell you of any previous history, and ID number info.

How about some pics of the other 2 Tigers?
 
Don't think so

Many of us have a polyamorous relationship with Tiger websites . I think you'll find as many smart guys on Tigers East Alpine's East as you will here and most likely the same correct answers here. Everyone loves a barn find, and me I don't care how many cylinders it has even if it has one. My first forum was an email list that had to do with the products of Sochiro Honda.
If you're having any trouble posting pictures or figuring out how to do so maybe the management will get the hint and upgrade the software or contact me or any other admin. Certainly we apologize for having old clunky software on our forum but we can make it work just like we make our cars work..
 
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