1965 Sunbeam Tiger Mark1.Vin B941378. TAC certified. Excellent mechanical and cosmetic condition. 48,000 miles, likely correct. Rebuilt balanced and blueprinted Ford 289 engine and Ford 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. Period correct Jackson Racing wheels (#5). New dual circuit brake system with new 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 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 almost 9 years and have driven about 7,000 miles during that time. A major restoration was done in 2017 with bare metal repaint in correct Forest green which included the hardtop. The restoration shop was amazed at the minimal rust for a car of this vintage. The paint remains nearly perfect with a few small chips in the door jamb area . The majority of chrome pieces were replaced. The original bumpers were in great shape and didn't require re-chroming. The windshield and hardtop quarter windows were replaced. General maintenance has been done appropriately over the last 50 years.
After the new tires were installed I noticed some occasional rubbing on the front inner wheel well fender on the left. This only occurred when the steering was turned maximally to the right and only when backing up. The fender was "rolled " to improve clearance and this did help but there is occasional rubbing with above setting. The body shop did not recommend further rolling as it occurs rarely and doesn't affect driving. The paint used to cover this area is a dark green but not a perfect match. This area can only be seen when kneeling down and leaning forward and is otherwise not visible. Pictures are included. 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.
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.
