thescrapman Posted May 11, 2021 Report Share Posted May 11, 2021 20 hours ago, SixasStandard said: I don't think JB would have driven my one very far..........and I expect 'Q' would have got a right earful if he had!! Ian Was that the one where the tyres even squealed on gravel, now that is a trick Q would be proud of, that and fitting Bonds Stag with a Morris Minor engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixasStandard Posted May 11, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2021 10 hours ago, Peaks said: That's good to hear, as you say Ian these things can rust! Like Gary I also have a Tiger, and it's had to have an awful lot of new metal put into it to get it into a sound condition. The photo below is of it in it's current state. As for the Hillman Husky/Commer Cob association, it's pretty loose, and there are very few common panels. A bit like saying the Triumph straight six is basically a Standard Eight engine. Anyway, sounds like a great buy, and I look forward to reading updates on your progress 👍 Yes, I know all about the corrosion that you can find in these cars. I bought a Series 3 several years ago without the benefit of an inspection (I was in Canada at the time)........and it turned out to be a patchwork quilt of poor welded repairs and corrosion on the chassis legs and cruciform. I repaired the front section of the car but decided to pass it on to a more experienced restorer once I got it onto the rotisserie and saw what I was facing underneath. This time around I was determined to do my due diligence, and gave the car a full 2 hour inspection, top and bottom. The car has been in dry storage since the early 1980s, and I don't think I've ever seen such an original and solid chassis on an Alpine. It received new floors, sills, and 'A' post repairs by John Timms back in the day, and will be receiving a lot of rust prevention and treatment (particularly in the box sections) to keep it corrosion free. The original colour was Mediterranean Blue, which is one of my favourites, so an added bonus. It's currently fitted with Ford Rostyles, but will eventually sport Dunlop D1s. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixasStandard Posted May 19, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2021 Here we go you lot.........the next chapter in my Alpine experience! A big thanks to Dave (Clive's mate) for delivering the car, a good reliable bloke if you want your car shifting.Now christened 'Katie' this Alpine is resplendent in grey primer, with partly digested seats (I'm not going to speculate on what did the digesting!), Holbay engine with a cracked exhaust manifold, exhaust held on with washing line, plywood dashboard, and best of all........an 11 inch Carlos Fandango sports steering wheel!!..........she's absolutely AWESOME..........I mean.....what's not to like!!Plenty of fun ahead, but the main point is that I've got a rock solid chassis, floorpan, cruciform, and sills with this car. Original colour was Mediterranean Blue........and that's what she's going back to. Get a load of that Louvred bonnet as well! which is actually steel, not fibreglass. The Holbay will be coming out and replaced with a rebuilt 1725cc Series V engine, which I imagine is quite a novel approach based on the widely held reverence for the Holbay.More updates to follow.Ian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted May 19, 2021 Report Share Posted May 19, 2021 how on earth do you control the float/fuel levels with the stroms at such a crazy angle ???? was the manifold off a hunter range as they had the engine inclined ??? pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted May 19, 2021 Report Share Posted May 19, 2021 1 hour ago, Pete Lewis said: how on earth do you control the float/fuel levels with the stroms at such a crazy angle ???? was the manifold off a hunter range as they had the engine inclined ??? pete Probably the same as the one I'm trying to identify... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixasStandard Posted May 19, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2021 2 hours ago, Pete Lewis said: how on earth do you control the float/fuel levels with the stroms at such a crazy angle ???? was the manifold off a hunter range as they had the engine inclined ??? pete The engine is out of a H120 fastback Rapier, and would normally have been fitted with a pair of Weber 40 DCOEs (I have them in a box). The Arrow range cars had the engine inclined at 5 degrees, hence the issue here when you fit an Arrow range induction system into an Audax range car. It's all academic in my case, as the engine is coming out to be replaced with a rebuilt 1725cc Series V Alpine engine and OD trans. I bought the car primarily based on the integrity of the structure, it's rock solid in all the Alpine trouble spots.......so quite a rarity!! Ian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mathew Posted May 20, 2021 Report Share Posted May 20, 2021 That looks like its going to be a real stunner. Looking forward to your progress. What colour are you going to paint it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted May 20, 2021 Report Share Posted May 20, 2021 10 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said: same as the one I'm trying to identify... with that angle its looking Imp based Pete 9 hours ago, SixasStandard said: rebuilt 1725cc Series V Alpine engine does than involve dumping the holbay head ??? pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixasStandard Posted May 20, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2021 1 hour ago, Pete Lewis said: with that angle its looking Imp based Pete does than involve dumping the holbay head ??? pete I'm not sure what my plans are for the Holbay at this point Pete. Once I've had a chance to get a compression tester on it, and the head and sump off to check the state of the bores and the big end journals I might change my mind and use the engine after all. One of my engines is definitely going to have to go, that is for sure. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixasStandard Posted May 20, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2021 1 hour ago, Mathew said: That looks like its going to be a real stunner. Looking forward to your progress. What colour are you going to paint it? The original colour was Rootes Mediterranean Blue (a shade of light blue) so my plan is to return the car to that colour. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaks Posted May 21, 2021 Report Share Posted May 21, 2021 OK, I'll ask.... why are you removing the Holbay engine? You should get good money for it! And do you have the GT hard top, or are you going to convert to a convertible, if that makes sense! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixasStandard Posted May 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2021 3 hours ago, Peaks said: OK, I'll ask.... why are you removing the Holbay engine? You should get good money for it! And do you have the GT hard top, or are you going to convert to a convertible, if that makes sense! To be honest I'm a little less decided on the whole issue than I've previously stated. I have a fully rebuilt 1725cc (or 1789cc actually, as it's been over-bored) ready to go into the car, together with a fully rebuilt OD gearbox. I've also got one of the new Webcon induction kits for the rebuilt engine, which comes with a special curved runner induction manifold and brand new 32/36 Weber. The sensible thing to do would be to hoik the Holbay out and install all of this nice new shiny stuff, but the more I think about it the more 'off piste' my decision making seems to veer! I keep thinking about the bloody Holbay and the glorious induction roar of a pair of twin 40s going full 'balls out'..................maybe I'll flip a coin........then ignore the result and stay with the Holbay anyway. As for the hard top, yep.......managed to snag one of those the day after I bought the car.......this time I only had to travel to Peterborough to pick it up (the car came from Surrey). It is totally solid in all of the usual 'red flag' areas, and just needs a few dents hammering out of the roof before a respray and a new set of seals. Converting a GT to a soft top is heresy as far as I'm concerned..........anyone doing it should be shot at dawn with no namby pamby appeals process. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaks Posted May 24, 2021 Report Share Posted May 24, 2021 On 21/05/2021 at 15:18, SixasStandard said: Converting a GT to a soft top is heresy as far as I'm concerned..........anyone doing it should be shot at dawn with no namby pamby appeals process. Ian 😂 Fair enough! So many GTs get converted, soon there won't be any left. And they are lovely things with all the posh bits that come with the GT spec. I think I read somewhere that they even had more sound proofing than your common or garden Alpie. Dunno if that's true though. You seem to have a knack for finding unicorn poo: a Holbay engine, a rust free hard top, a totally solid Alpine shell for that matter 👏 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixasStandard Posted May 26, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2021 On 24/05/2021 at 11:13, Peaks said: 😂 Fair enough! So many GTs get converted, soon there won't be any left. And they are lovely things with all the posh bits that come with the GT spec. I think I read somewhere that they even had more sound proofing than your common or garden Alpie. Dunno if that's true though. You seem to have a knack for finding unicorn poo: a Holbay engine, a rust free hard top, a totally solid Alpine shell for that matter 👏 I'm not an expert on these things by any stretch, but I do know that the GT spec car had a cast iron exhaust manifold in preference to the tubular manifold used on the STs, had a different induction system, and was slightly de-tuned, all to give a more 'civilized' driver experience at the expense of outright performance. The hardtop would also have made the cabin quieter whilst driving in comparison to an ST with the hood up. The other GT interior refinements such as wood veneer dash, carpeting and pleated interior panels have now been added to a lot of STs, but the difference is still obvious to the observant eye when you see the smaller quarterlight chrome trim, the lack of padded door cappings, and the visible paintwork around the door panels. You're quite right on the unicorn front.........I've certainly had a run of good luck just recently..........and picking up the hardtop for 400 quid certainly rates as the high point..........so let's just hope it continues! I'm still busy sorting through and cleaning up the boxes of parts that came with the car, so no work is currently ongoing on the car itself, but more updates will follow in due course. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted May 26, 2021 Report Share Posted May 26, 2021 aha the good old days when GT meant Grande Tourer not an ill conceived Go faster badge pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixasStandard Posted May 26, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2021 16 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said: aha the good old days when GT meant Grande Tourer not an ill conceived Go faster badge pete Yes Pete, although in the case of the Alpine I think that Rootes were possibly stretching the definition somewhat! 'GT' for me means a car that is able to cover long distances with both the driver and the car itself left unstressed at the end of the journey...........and I'll never be convinced that a 1725cc four pot (albeit mated to an overdrive gearbox) will ever truly deliver on that. Eventually I'll probably search out a 1: 3.89 rear diff from a Series 3 car to make motorway journeys a bit more comfortable, the car is currently running its standard 1: 4.22 If money was no object I'd probably be tooling around in something a bit more deserving of the 'GT' moniker, like an Alvis or a Lagonda, and no doubt casting disdainful glances at Sunbeam drivers as I wafted past them on the way down to Biarritz! ............you can always dream!! Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted May 26, 2021 Report Share Posted May 26, 2021 having had a good few Gazelle Hunter Vogue and Sceptre for runs to scotland / cornwall fully loaded we never found the 1725 lacking in eating the miles and the last years of the Commer PB with a high comp and overdrive was good fun Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixasStandard Posted May 26, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2021 1 hour ago, Pete Lewis said: having had a good few Gazelle Hunter Vogue and Sceptre for runs to scotland / cornwall fully loaded we never found the 1725 lacking in eating the miles and the last years of the Commer PB with a high comp and overdrive was good fun Pete Don't get me wrong Pete........the Rootes brand was a well made group of cars, indeed over engineered in many respects, and the 1725cc 5 bearing engine was a strong reliable unit..............but if you wanted to travel to the other end of 'wherever' without getting a crease in your cravat .................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted May 26, 2021 Report Share Posted May 26, 2021 theres a element of fun between you take the car or the car takes you all depends on how deep are your pockets next you will want a chauffer Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixasStandard Posted June 23, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2021 Babubbabahbaabaaaaaaaah (that's a trumpet intro for the uninitiated). So......the black sheep of the Forum finally returns after a lengthy sojourn. Looking back over this thread brings tears to my eyes when I recall the youthful innocence and trust in human nature on display in most of my postings. Unfortunately the dark unsightly underbelly of the classic car movement has shaken my idealism since those heady days, and I speak to you now in rather more 'battle hardened' state. As you may recall I was undecided on whether to use the 'Holbay' engine in my newly acquired Alpine, or else stick with the rebuilt engine I have stashed in the shed. Well, that decision has been simplified somewhat after I started to strip the engine down.........finding that it most definitely hadn't ever seen service in a Rapier H120, and in fact wasn't anything close to a Holbay at all......apart from the shiny Holbay rocker cover on the top of course! No small induction ports, no heart shaped combustion chambers, no flat top pistons, no Holbay cam.........in fact nothing bloody Holbay at all except for the rocker cover. It was a particularly nice touch when I checked the number on the engine block and found that it had started life under the bonnet of a Hillman Super Minx MkIV estate (yes.....a bloody estate!!)........not a model particularly renowned for its 'leave em at the lights' performance. Caveat Emptor indeed!! Anyway........the car is reassuringly solid, and I didn't buy it on the basis of the engine.......nor was the price skewed particularly by the supposed Holbay, so could have been worse I suppose.......and I'm now older and wiser. The 'dodgy' engine is now skulking in a corner of the garage, suitably ashamed of itself, and I can begin to clean down and prep the engine bay......................or I could............. if I wasn't currently embroiled in a complete DIY bathroom renovation. A few pictures attached (of the car, not the bathroom), and there's likely to be another lengthy break (including a few visits to A&E) before the next instalment of 'Alpine Adventures'. Keep the faith. Ian 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted June 23, 2021 Report Share Posted June 23, 2021 the olde mix and match of classic ownership or ... as my Dad always said they have more reasons to sell it than you have to buy it so with that in mind we go out and buy a headache we have all been their at some time in life looks like its has an alloy head so presume thats from a Arrow...Hunter/Rapier spec, the super minx as far as i remember used a cast iron head keep smiling it will all be good before long Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixasStandard Posted June 23, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2021 3 hours ago, Mathew said: At least you have an engine to go in. Do you mean someone has been dishonest and sold something that it was not, yes there are some crunts out there. They think they get away with it but it catches them all out in the end. Looking forward to your renewed progress. The guy that sold the car to me was equally surprised about the engine, he'd bought the car back in the 1980s on the understanding that it was a Holbay, but then the car remained untouched in his ownership in storage until now. The seller back in the 1980s was a real Prince by the looks of it, as dismantling the car so far has shown numerous bolts missing, or of the wrong type........so let's hope Karma has caught up with him at some point in the last 40 years. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixasStandard Posted June 23, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2021 2 hours ago, Pete Lewis said: the olde mix and match of classic ownership or ... as my Dad always said they have more reasons to sell it than you have to buy it so with that in mind we go out and buy a headache we have all been their at some time in life looks like its has an alloy head so presume thats from a Arrow...Hunter/Rapier spec, the super minx as far as i remember used a cast iron head keep smiling it will all be good before long Pete I think the engine is a standard Alpine unit that has been rebuilt with a replacement 1725cc block from a Super Minx. It was running on twin Strombergs when I bought it. Ironically the rebuilt engine that I have in the shed is fast road spec, with a stage 1 cam, flat top pistons and a gas flowed head.......so probably pretty close to Holbay spec. That being said I won't be putting the Holbay rocker cover on it, as it's not a Holbay engine and I wouldn't want to pass it off as one. You're bang on regarding the Super Minx having a CI head Pete..........so the cam and valve sequence would have been different to that of the Aluminium head engine. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted June 24, 2021 Report Share Posted June 24, 2021 We've all been there... but at least you've a good engine to fall back on. Keep us posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bfg Posted January 24, 2022 Report Share Posted January 24, 2022 It's all gone quiet around here Ian.. must be time for an update surely ? Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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