Fun with ricers
 

New guy here. At first, this post might not seem like it belongs on this board -- it does -- just keep reading.

Every couple of days I take my '68 Sunbeam out for an evening cruise. I don't go looking, but if I run across one, embarrassing the riceboys is too much fun to pass up. A Sunbeam? It's a little British convertible about the size of an MGB. Find a light, pull up next to the Honda with the Folger's can tip. Hope he has his girlfriend with him.

The Sunbeam only weighs 2,450 pounds with me and the gas, but Ricemeister's expecting about 90 flywheel HP out of a bad British 4-banger. Look over until he runs up the revs. Nod to let him know you wanna go -- don't blip the gas 'cause that'd give it away.

On the green, part throttle to stay even with him until he's about through first gear and you're a little under four grand where the cam really comes to life. Then nail the throttle. The large-case Ultraflows that kept the idle quiet are makin some noise now. Run first to 7 grand, shift, back off the throttle and wait for him. Nail it again when he catches you, just to make sure his butt is beat (no flybys allowed). Shift to third if you have enuf road, back off the throttle, and check to see if he's turned off.

The beauty of it all -- Riceboy has no respect for American technology, and maybe even less for cars from the sixties. But that's what he just got stomped by. If he doesn't turn off quick and actually asks, I tell him about Carroll Shelby, who stuffed 289s into Sunbeam Alipnes to make them Sunbeam Tigers, just like he did when he turned the AC Ace into the Shelby Cobra.

If he wants to hear more, I let him in on a little secret. It isn't all that difficult (or expensive) to get 375, even 400 HP out of a 289 if you have the right combination, even with a flat-tappet cam and a carburetor(the carb actually makes it easier).

Who says you have to stop having fun when you turn 35? When it gets into your blood, it never leaves.

what cam, carb, and head setup are you running?

Comp Cams XE 284 (hydrauic, believe it or not) w/ Pro Magnum lifters and roller rockers,

Holley 650 double-pumper tweaked by Jet (the chip guys -- but they've been doing carbs for about 25 years),

professionally ported (full-monty job) C9OE casting 351W heads (I wanted the period look). Went with 1.90/1.60 Ferrea Comp series valves (1.94 gets you into deshrouding work, which cuts compression). Milling and pistons for about 11:1,

gasket matched Victor Jr intake

Drooling... show us the pics man! I love those little cars. I bet that's a fun little cruiser.

Brett

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66 Tahoe Turquoise Coupe
Laser Red 96GT Ragtop
30 Years & 30 inches apart in the driveway!

I thought Sunbeam Tigers had Chevy 327s in them.

Masterful story! It put a smile on my face. The 289 is an awesome motor.

Please post some pics of your car.

oh, and Welcome to Mustangworks.

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1995 Mustang GT

got any pictures?
i have no idea what a sunbeam tiger looks like, but it sure sounds like a fun ride!

Great story, but we need pics! What years were they imported from?

Just mentioning the Shelby Cobra got me all hot and bothered (side oiler 429, anyone?).

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'95 Chrome Yellow GT ragtop, KN filter charger, Dynomax cat back, Accel plugs and wires.

I love those cars! Wasn't that the car in Get Smart?

Have you ever timed it on the 1/4 mile?

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91 coupe
3.73's,long tubes,2 1/2" exh,ported stock t-body,ProM-77mm
cobra intake,edelbrock heads,B303,1.72 rr's
36lb inj's,tremec, & a Paxton NOVI 2000!!!
11.020 @128.95 on BFG Drag Radials (275/60/15)

I have heard alot about them but never saw one or knew of anyone that had one, they have some much potential with that 289 and light weight. post soem more about it and also a few pics would be nice.

we want track times! we want track times! we want track times! awesome story! and yes topless tire fryer, ANYTIME a Shelby is mentioned it brings big smiles all around, doesnt it? later!

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93Cobra#3974
off-road h-pipe, 2chamber flowmasters, hurst shifter, moroso cold-air induction, march street pullies, best 1/4 14.461 at 98.15mph, best 60' 2.233

Hey

Thanks for the welcome to the board, and for the interest in the car. It's very cool to run across a board like this. I can't quite manage attaching pictures to this post (I've seen 'em done here, but an HTML whiz I'm not). Somebody wanna give me a clue?

Instead, here's a link to one that's the same model and color as mine. It's an ad, so don't bother with all the sales text. I have different rims, and my paint is new (total resto) so it's darker than the 34 year-old enamel on the one in the pictures. I decided not to do the stripe, or the little vertical overriders on the bumper.
http://www.corpdemo.com/tiger/norms/dave/forsaleh.htm

Hit the link on the bottom for the site's homepage, and you'll have all the history and info you could want and LOTS more pictures. The guy that has the site is probably the country's leading expert on the Tiger.

Here's the quick version of the history and answers to your questions if oyu don't feel like exploring the site:

They were made and imported from '65 to '67, although some of the last '67s made were titled as '68s, like mine. About 7,500 were built for worldwide sale (little over half sold in the US).

Yes, SisuStang -- first two years of Get Smart, Smart pulled up to the building in a red MkI at the start of every show. Later, I think he had a Karmann Ghia and then something else.

Lyons -- sacriledge, man! Always smallblock Fords. 260s in the MkI and MkIa, 289 in the MkII. The Ford was put to so many uses like this because it was smaller (narrower) and lighter than the SBC. No more room in the Tiger. As it is, I have to crawl under the dash and pull a 2 inch rubber plug out of the firewall to get at the sparkplug on #8 cylinder, and another for the valve cover bolt.

Track times I don't have -- my little dragstrip software piece says 11.2 with no wheelspin and open headers. However, the car's set up more to be a road racer. I'd need slicks, shocks, maybe a spring change to do the 1/4 mile any justice. Software hated my 3.07 rear gears, and says I need to swap for 4.11s if I wanna improve on that ET. Couple of people drag race Tigers. I'll see if I can find real-world ETs.

Hmmm, road racer. I read that other thread about the S2000s. Think the S2000 guys would stoop to racing me? I'm in their "class". (Actually, I'd be in B Production with the smallblock Cobras and the Vettes)

[This message has been edited by Tiger598 (edited 08-10-2001).]