In 1970, just out of the 'nam, with a year's pay in my pocket, I was in the D.C. area and looking for a fun car. Looked at a rat 'vette, an Avanti which needed work and a really sound one-owner '65 Tiger. Bought it for $1500.
Only thing it needed was an exhaust system and those were still a stocking item in those days. I installed it by driving the car up over a curb and lying in the gutter using a hardware store adjustable wrench.
Drove it to Alabama, back up to Hartford, CT and the bias plys had to go. Put on BFG DR70-13s, all the way up to Bar Harbor, ME, then across the high line to Montana and down to San Francisco.
In SF, it was my everyday driver and once I went six months without putting up the soft top. I hauled lumber for a bookcase, a large chair and a Christmas tree. Found a hard top, had it painted red to match. Installed Konis, built a strong street 302". Ran a set of the real deal magnesium wheels. Did one term as president of STOA. Tom, Terry and I did the first remote filter and oil cooler kit on my car and STOA sold the kits for a while.
Moved to Spokane, WA, modified the Panhard rod a la MKII, changed to 6" wide wheels. Still my daily driver and once went nine months without ever being passed. If a car was gaining on me, I just eased up the speed until he wasn't getting closer. I had Stewart-Warner mechanical gauges in it and remember at cruise, the coolant temp was always 100 degrees above ambient.
Got involved in the Big Brothers program and my little brother, Greg Oliver, and I had many fun rides in the Tiger. Once, returning from an autocross, we raced the Mt. St. Helens volcanic eruption ash cloud and beat it home to the garage.
I had it painted, removing all the lettering, installed a Mustang GT hood scoop and removed the bumpers.
As my own son was getting toward driving age, a Tiger is an attractive nuisance, so I sold it for $9,000 to a guy from SF. I knew by the questions he asked and that he didn't want any of the spare parts, he wasn't really cut out to be a Tiger owner.
Fast forward twenty-five years; Greg, now in his 40s, asked if we could track down the Tiger. Thanks to Tom Hall and Terry Taylor, they accessed the TAC list, found the car and put us in touch with the owner.
He lived out in Concord, CA and told us the SF guy who bought it from me had only kept it a short time and he'd owned it for twenty-five years.
We flew down in Greg's plane, looked at and drove the Tiger, he had had it repainted, restoring the chrome letters and bumpers, new upholstery, top, instruments, still stronger engine, (with my block and crank), wheels and tires, plus Tom Hall's 5-speed tranny.
As luck would have it, he was getting remarried; new wife didn't like the Tiger and thought the money could be put to better use on a new house. His asking price was basically what I sold it for, adjusted for inflation. Seems we got his $25K in improvements for free.
I financed the purchase, Greg paid me back and our Tiger now lives in a Seattle suburb and I have visiting rights.
Greg thinks it needs EFI, as he's not carb-savvy and the engine is just radical enough EFI might help the idle and fuel smell. Forty-five years later and I'm still working on the same car.
jack vines
Only thing it needed was an exhaust system and those were still a stocking item in those days. I installed it by driving the car up over a curb and lying in the gutter using a hardware store adjustable wrench.
Drove it to Alabama, back up to Hartford, CT and the bias plys had to go. Put on BFG DR70-13s, all the way up to Bar Harbor, ME, then across the high line to Montana and down to San Francisco.
In SF, it was my everyday driver and once I went six months without putting up the soft top. I hauled lumber for a bookcase, a large chair and a Christmas tree. Found a hard top, had it painted red to match. Installed Konis, built a strong street 302". Ran a set of the real deal magnesium wheels. Did one term as president of STOA. Tom, Terry and I did the first remote filter and oil cooler kit on my car and STOA sold the kits for a while.
Moved to Spokane, WA, modified the Panhard rod a la MKII, changed to 6" wide wheels. Still my daily driver and once went nine months without ever being passed. If a car was gaining on me, I just eased up the speed until he wasn't getting closer. I had Stewart-Warner mechanical gauges in it and remember at cruise, the coolant temp was always 100 degrees above ambient.
Got involved in the Big Brothers program and my little brother, Greg Oliver, and I had many fun rides in the Tiger. Once, returning from an autocross, we raced the Mt. St. Helens volcanic eruption ash cloud and beat it home to the garage.
I had it painted, removing all the lettering, installed a Mustang GT hood scoop and removed the bumpers.
As my own son was getting toward driving age, a Tiger is an attractive nuisance, so I sold it for $9,000 to a guy from SF. I knew by the questions he asked and that he didn't want any of the spare parts, he wasn't really cut out to be a Tiger owner.
Fast forward twenty-five years; Greg, now in his 40s, asked if we could track down the Tiger. Thanks to Tom Hall and Terry Taylor, they accessed the TAC list, found the car and put us in touch with the owner.
He lived out in Concord, CA and told us the SF guy who bought it from me had only kept it a short time and he'd owned it for twenty-five years.
We flew down in Greg's plane, looked at and drove the Tiger, he had had it repainted, restoring the chrome letters and bumpers, new upholstery, top, instruments, still stronger engine, (with my block and crank), wheels and tires, plus Tom Hall's 5-speed tranny.
As luck would have it, he was getting remarried; new wife didn't like the Tiger and thought the money could be put to better use on a new house. His asking price was basically what I sold it for, adjusted for inflation. Seems we got his $25K in improvements for free.
I financed the purchase, Greg paid me back and our Tiger now lives in a Seattle suburb and I have visiting rights.
Greg thinks it needs EFI, as he's not carb-savvy and the engine is just radical enough EFI might help the idle and fuel smell. Forty-five years later and I'm still working on the same car.
jack vines
