1965 Sunbeam Tiger Mark1.Vin B941378. TAC certified. Excellent mechanical and cosmetic condition. 49400 miles, thought to be correct.. Rebuilt balanced and blueprinted Ford 289 engine and Ford four speed toploader transmission. Bare metal repaint in original Forest Green in 2017. Majority of chrome replaced at that time. Bumpers original and remain in excellent condition. New soft top. Rebuilt carb., new fuel pump. New Vredestein tires (replaced 2022). Period correct Jackson Racing wheels (#5). Newer dual circuit brake system including brake and clutch master cylinders. Koni shocks. New seat cushions and upholstery. Newer dual exhaust and mufflers. Original steering wheel remains in excellent condition. Original dash with some expected cracks in varnish but remains handsome.
The car starts up readily, even after sitting for a few weeks. It idles well and accelerates briskly. Steering is tight and there is no shimmy at high speeds. Clutch is excellent and transmission shifting is precise. There is no smoke or unusual engine or transmission sounds. The Tiger does not burn oil and oil level remains full at oil changes. All gauges and electricals work well. The car never comes close to overheating and oil pressure is excellent. The previous owner installed an electric cooling fan with a subtle switch on dash. I haven't ever needed to use it but it may be helpful if stuck in traffic.
The previous owner was an elderly gentleman who had the Tiger for 33 years. He drove it less than 4,000 miles during that time and put many thousands of dollars into upgrading and maintaining his pride and joy (as extensive receipts show). I (another elderly gentleman) have owned it for 10 years and have driven about 8,000 miles during that time. A major restoration was done in 2017 with bare metal repaint in correct Forest green which included the hardtop. The windshield and quarter panel windows of hardtop were replaced at that time. The restoration shop was amazed at the minimal rust for a car of this vintage. The paint remains nearly perfect. There was a nickel size chip on the drivers side of the front fender (from inadvertently bumping with tool in garage) which was professionally repaired with correct color paint and could be seen only if searching for it. The majority of chrome pieces were replaced. The original bumpers were in great shape and didn't require re-chroming. There is no known rust or structural filler. General maintenance has been done appropriately over the last 50 years.
I also have a never used Tiger roll bar and the original wheels and hubcaps that will go with the car. I had installed a Pertronix electronic ignition but found it didn't allow the tachometer to function correctly. I removed it and had the dual points etc. replaced and that works well. I will include the Pertronix as well. I will include 50 years of receipts as well as workshop manuals and tiger books.
I have owned many British and some Italian sports cars through the years and this has been the most enjoyable of all. I'm just getting older and moving on to other things.
