How rusty can a New York Tiger be?

[65Tigerproject]

Since I was just a teenager in the 70's I have wanted to own a Tiger as most of you here. I am sure some of you have seen this picture and were wondering where this car went or even if it was as clean as it looked. Well I have to say it is now in California. So here is the story to this point. From the information that I was able to get the 1965 Tiger started life in New York. I have to say after building plenty of cars an east coast car is not something that you buy to restore, but crazy as it sounds the car was solid, not wrecked and so far not missing any parts. The car originally was purchased from an estate
where the car was taken apart as to be restored and the guy died. The second owner bought the car for a project for him and his son,had it media blasted and built a rotisserie for it. He started on the body fixing a few small rust areas and epoxy sealing the body. I guess it was really to much of a project for him so he traded the car for a mustang to a friend in Pensacola FL. where I found it on Craigslist. I gave him a call and the seller sent me more pics and we had a good conversation about the car, so grabbed a friend and we headed off to Pensacola on a Tiger hunt. The rest is history, picked up an enclosed trailer right there in town and loaded the car up and trailered it back to CA.

Presently the body is just about finished and ready for paint. The drivers floor was repaired once but not right so we we replace the floor panel to make it perfect. I have rebuilt the diff and trans, all original components, I have the original 260 but not sure if it will make it in or not. As for all the trim and accessories, gauges etc. This stuff is in remarkable condition, the odometer is sitting at 42K. I am working on the front end rebuild and suspension now, all powder coated and looking new. I have to say putting a car even this simple back together having not been the guy who dissembled it, makes it challenge. Here are a few shots of it in progress. Hope to be driving this car this summer.

If you know anything more about this car, shoot me a message. This is all I know about its life.

Ken

 

[TigerBlue]

VIN?

Your car's 50th Birthday will happen this year. Send me a PM with the VIN and I will reply with the "Jensen date". Which is the best thing to the actual laying of figurative keel.

TigerBlue

 

[Bob Knight]

Congrats

Congrats on your Tiger! My current Tiger also came from New York, and was circumstances somewhat similar to yours, original owner blew up the engine in the early '70's, took the car apart to restore it, and then it sat in his garage, until he got too old to do it - which is where I came in. Also low mileage and no rust. So, not every back east Tiger is a rust bucket. Mine also migrated here to California... It would be interesting to know what percentage of surviving Tigers are in California, I'd bet it's somewhere close to 50%.
I also had the "have to put back together something someone else disassembled" scenario, the bright side is that it gives you the opportunity to do everything EXACTLY like you want it. Fortunately at the time I was assembling mine I had another fairly original, unrestored Tiger that I could use as a guide. The Tiger is now complete and I still have a small box of left over parts that I don't know what they are....
Bob K.
B9471705