1965 Sunbeam Tiger Mk1 | Projects

1965 Sunbeam Tiger Mk1

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The Project

This 1960s Sunbeam Tiger Mk1 arrived at our workshop late 2021 for an extensive restoration on this rare V8 powered roadster.

Updates

13th January 2022 – The body work has been repaired and prepped for paintwork, and now has had its final green coat applied.

29th July 2022 – Our engineers have been rebuilding the Ford 260 V8 engine and we have managed to get it started on the first go, which is rare for an engine having so many new parts.

1st September 2022 – Our engineers have rebuilt the Ford 260 V8 engine and reunited it back into the car.

25th May 2023 – Just had the new exhaust system fitted and works to brakes and suspension.

7th March 2024 – The car interior is being reassembled. Chrome work also being fitted. Interior wooden dash has been lacquered, all glasswork and dials have been refurbished.

11th April 2024: Dashboard being fitted and electrics reconnected. Steering wheel also fitted.

2nd October 2024: The car has had the original roof refurbished and refitted, along with a new set of tyres and four new wheels fitted.

> More updates to follow.

History

The Sunbeam Tiger is a high-performance V8 version of the British Rootes Group’s Sunbeam Alpine roadster, designed in part by American car designer and racing driver Carroll Shelby and produced from 1964 until 1967.

Shelby had carried out a similar V8 conversion on the AC Cobra, and hoped to be offered the contract to produce the Tiger at his facility in the United States. Rootes decided instead to contract the assembly work to Jensen at West Bromwich in England, and pay Shelby a royalty on every car produced.

Two major versions of the Tiger were built: the Mark I (1964–1967) was fitted with the 260 cu in (4.3 L) Ford V8; the Mark II, of which only 633 were built in the final year of Tiger production, was fitted with the larger displacement Ford 289 cu in (4.7 L) engine.

Two prototype and extensively modified versions of the Mark I competed in the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans, but neither completed the race. Rootes also entered the Tiger in European rallies with some success, and for two years it was the American Hot Rod Association’s national record holder over a quarter-mile drag strip.

Production ended in 1967 soon after the Rootes Group was taken over by Chrysler, which did not have a suitable engine to replace the Ford V8. Owing to the ease and affordability of modifying the Tiger, there are few remaining cars in standard form.

What buyers should know

Engine:

On A-series 948cc, 1098cc and 1275cc engines, check the oil pressure and for signs of oil smoke and fumes. The 1275cc engine is popular with DIY tuners so look for signs of ham-fisted tweakery. A leaky head gasket, worn valve stem seals and noisy tappets are other issues to look out for. The later 1.5 engine had weak crankshaft journals so listen for rumblings below.

Transmission:

Expect straight-cut first and reverse gears to whine, but you may need an expert to help you distinguish that from noisy bearings. On the remaining gears, feel for worn synchros. Listen for a noisy rear differential.

Steering, suspension and brakes:

Don’t put up with suspension and steering that feels loose and bouncy. Common issues are worn or corroded kingpins, leaky dampers, rusty leaf spring hangers and broken springs. Check the lubrication points have fresh grease on them. Seized pistons, scored and worn discs, leaking brake hoses and corroded cables are common.

Body:

Use a magnet to tell filler from steel, and a screwdriver to tell rust from paint. Sills, A-posts, doors and wheel arches rust badly. Roofless, wet-weather motoring will soak carpets and cause floors to rust. Don’t ignore the boot floor, especially where it meets the rear upright panel. The rear spring hangers corrode badly, too.

Interior:

Check for torn vinyl, rotten wood trim, mouldy carpets and broken switches. However, compared with fixing bodywork, these are minor issues.