Finally a New Owner of an Old Tiger

dstephns

dstephns

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CAT Member
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Screwed up. The update is on the second page. Sorry guys.
Hi everyone.
Some of you may remember a month or so ago I posted a thread on a Tiger that I was interested in buying. I posted several photos of the car and most responded that it looked like it had some issues and may not be a real Tiger.
One respondent even said I should contact Norm Miller and ask him. Well I did and Norm responded that it was a Tiger that I should not invest in. The next day Norm sent me another email saying that if I was serious that he knew of a Tiger that as he said, "was rock solid" and the owner wished to sell.
After getting in touch with Bill Martin (Rootes Group Depot) and talking to him about the car I made the owner an offer which was accepted. Picked the car up from Santa Clara and trailered home to Arizona. In a nutshell the car is beautiful to me. It has some minor flaws that are being addressed, all cosmetic in nature. The car has a TAC # 0079 and is pretty much stock. The previous owner owned the car since 1994 and was a super person to deal with.
Bill Martin was a big help and kudos to him also. Now for the real learning process to begin. Thanks to everyone here for their assistance also. I'm sure I will have many more questions over the months and years. Here is a pic of the car. Sheet metal was replaced on the front as it was struck or backed into a long time ago and replaced with one with holes pre drilled for the "SUNBEAM" lettering. Instead of filling in the holes they just attached the lettering. That is one of the cosmetic changes that is in store for this MK1A. Thanks again guys!
 
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Very Nice Car

Your car looks very nice! Congrats on your purchase and here's wishing you many happy miles of motoring!
 
Congratulations, looks great. Are you going to keep it all stock or personalize it some?
 
cobrakidz said:
Congratulations, looks great. Are you going to keep it all stock or personalize it some?
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Since I live in Phoenix I may install an alloy radiator and a more efficient water pump because of the heat. Any parts removed will be safely stored and kept. Generally, I will try to keep the car as stock as possible with changes only to safety and drivability items.
As I have stated before I have a lot to learn since I come from a Triumph background. Paint code is 58 so color will remain the same or very close to what it is now. I have to say driving it is quite the experience and very enjoyable. Now to learn everything I can on the idiosyncrasies of this car and try to keep it in tip top shape. Again I want to thank everyone for their encouragement and expertise.
 
Congrats on your purchase. My [new to me] 1A is due for delivery to me in Scottsdale sometime this week. Are you headed to Cars & Coffee this Saturday? I realize it's a holiday weekend so turnout may be light but I'll probably head out early regardless. Hope to see you there!
 
CLGTiger said:
Congrats on your purchase. My [new to me] 1A is due for delivery to me in Scottsdale sometime this week. Are you headed to Cars & Coffee this Saturday? I realize it's a holiday weekend so turnout may be light but I'll probably head out early regardless. Hope to see you there!
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I'm not familiar with Cars & Coffee but it sounds fun. It sounds like it could be similar to my Triumphs club "Breakfast Runs". This weekend though I will be driving to Salt Lake City to spend time with one of my kids and his family. :)
 
C&C is first Saturday of every month at the shops at Gainey Village-right at about Scottsdale & Doubletree. Usually an incredible variety of cars and bikes show up, although it'll probably start earlier due to heat. I'm usually there by 7:30 or so, walk around for an hour and then take off. It's a nice way to start the weekend and doesn't impinge much on weekend plans. If you see a red 1A stop and say hello. There are typically a couple Tigers that show up.
 
cbroadbooks said:
Absolutely gorgeous! Congrats!
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Thanks for the kind words. I love it. I have a walnut burl dash coming from Randy at Prestige and a Martha Wheat wool carpet kit also. Then comes a little body work and a quality respray of the existing color.
 
an update on my Tiger

Wow, its been a while since I have been able to enjoy the Tiger I purchased in June of 2014 but I'm finally finishing up. Some of you may remember that the MK1A I purchased came with a luggage rack, aging paint and the letters "Sunbeam" installed across the front that was not correct. The carpet was old and torn and while the dash was ok it didn't look very good in my opinion. Now the Tiger has new Martha Wheat carpet installed, new dash by Randy, some minor reupholstering, a little body work, and finally a new re-spray. My goals were not concours but a real nice driver that I can enjoy. Here are some pics of it now. The midnight blue (58) changes color in differing light.
Dave



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Thanks! I'm already enjoying it. Just have a few more things to finish up.
Dave
 
Didn't ditch the LAT 70's, I still have them. I love the LAT 70's. The wheels that are on it currently are VTO Classic 8's and they are 14's. I just like changing stuff up a little. Any bits that came off the car and were usable or could be refurbished, I still have. I have added, though not on car presently, an original Tiger remote oil filter, and an original steering wheel. The steering wheel did not come with the car and I intended to install it but seeing how fragile they can be got the Nardi and use it most of the time.
I'm one of those guys that tend to the more stock side but I will keep the F4B and Holley 4 barrel that were on it when I bought it. LOL!
Dave
 
Car looks great. I like the look of a dash full of gauges, makes for a classy interior.
 
Thanks for the compliments guys! It is not an inexpensive process as I'm sure everyone on this forum who owns one knows. My car certainly isn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination. It was pretty nice when I bought it but I feel it is nicer now. I love my TR250 too, but it is no Tiger. LOL! As I've told many of my friends, I guess I have a soft spot in my head and my heart for old Brit cars. Just love them.
Dave
 
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