Uncommon Motors

When ordinary just won't do

1967 Sunbeam Alpine RestoMod with Nissan Turbo Power

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1967 Sunbeam Alpine with 250 horsepower Nissan 4
1967 Sunbeam Alpine with 250 horsepower Nissan 4

The owner of this Alpine purchased it used and after surveying the condition it was in due to a previous owner’s “improvements,” he decided there was little choice but to do it right, which basically meant removing all of those earlier “upgrades,” taking the car down to bare metal and starting fresh.

the Sunbeam's body was soda blasted to bare metal and repainted. Minilite wheels look right, roll bars reflect the performance orientation.
the Sunbeam’s body was soda blasted to bare metal and repainted. Minilite wheels look right, roll bars reflect the performance orientation.

Absolutely everything has been redone.Instead of going the Tiger route and dropping in a small block Ford, he slipped in a very well built 1.85 liter Nissan 4 cylinder blowing through a Garrett GT2560R turbocharger and fully custom exhaust system. His last dyno run says ~250HP/250Lb-Ft of torque.

250 horsepower turbocharged 1.85 liter Nissan 4
250 horsepower turbocharged 1.85 liter Nissan 4

A Nissan 5 speed runs power to the Ford 8 inch rear with limited slip and 4.11 gears. Wilwood Brakes, Minilite wheels and a whole lot more.

Interior featues Mazda Miata seats with new leather and electric heaters. 4 point safety harnesses, Moto-lita 14" steering wheel, SpeedHut Revolution gauges with custom faces
Interior featues Mazda Miata seats with new leather and electric heaters. 4 point safety harnesses, Moto-lita 14″ steering wheel, SpeedHut Revolution gauges with custom faces

The work has been done, so all the new owner has to do is get in and drive. These Alpine roadsters look good and this will easily keep up with any Tiger it encounters.

Comments

  2. I agree the bars could look better somehow, but I’d snap it up in a heartbeat even with them (money and time pending). Great car, love the color chosen!

    • OK, two comments against the roll bars, but I don’t mind them at all. Judging from the rubber mounted on those wheels, this is likely capable of doing well at a weekend autocross event or very spirited driving through twisty roads and the roll bars, in those circumstances, would be a lot more than cosmetic, and sanctioning bodies at some competitions may require them. If the car was never intended for anything beyond fun drives on sunny days, then they may be unnecessary and yes, the clean lines would be better without them.

      Oddly enough, I’ve seen a lot of news stories locally with all manner of cars flipped over on their roof after a seemingly minor shunt, so they might be good to have any time.

      • Oh- I agree they are needed, just think they could have been integrated better with the amount of money and effort thrown at this car. Like I said, I’d still love to drive it!