sunbeamtiger.co.uk

Hello.
Just by way of introduction, I was fortunate to take early retirement and now restore my own cars. Just part way through a series 1 4.2 roadster E type, and an early Aston DBS.
I was today offered a Tiger and a TR6 both have been stored for the best part of 20 years in a (real barn) water tight.
My problem is how do I tell if the TIGER is genuine. I would appreciate any pointers as i have no previous experience with the car.
Cheers Ralph.

If you can find out the registration number the car may be known in the club?

Is the car complete or in bits? Be careful as cars have been stolen over the years and not reappeared!

There are a number of ways to spot a fake but the best thing to do is take someone with you who knows tigers well. Where do you live as there may be a club member who would have a look with you?

Regards
Ash

Hello Ash.
Thankyou for the reply. I live near to Lancaster but as yet dont have a location for the car other than being told its in Lancashire. The car is supposed to be complete and requiring (minimal retoration. where have i heard that one before) .
I hope to view the cars this week end.
Cheers Ralph.

Don't know the asking price, but a restoration project just sold on E-bay for £11,000. You may have stumbled on a bargain. If its 20 years + in storage unlikely to be a fake.

A good starting point for Tiger ID is:

http://www.classictiger.com/mudge/tac/nutac.htm

oh look another new member on the forum ,welcome .i have a tiger register so i can find out a bit off the cars id if you want to forward it to me

bob the car on ebay is real ,i sold it in january .

Hi Ralph

I live in Cheshire and would be happy to accompany you to view the Tiger. I've only had my Tiger for a short while but I am confident enough that I could spot a fake.

Plus, if you go and view the car, you could then make a note of the chassis and JAL numbers to later confirm with the club.

Best wishes, Bob

bigbob wrote:If its 20 years + in storage unlikely to be a fake.

Indeed, values then didn't really warrant any orginality issues - so as bigbob says unlikely it will be anything non-original.

Careful though, as what might appear a poor restoration could be the real deal as Jensen were very brutal when converting Alpine bodies to accommodate the Ford V8 running gear. Some restorations are actually far too neat and are nothing near the rough finish that's accustomed with Jensen build quality

Ash wrote:may be a club member who would have a look with you

Would be a great idea, and am sure there would be plenty of willing helpers

vkxbob wrote:I live in Cheshire, Bob

Lovely part of the world

Tomaselli - Hi.

I see you're also from Cheshire. Do you know if there's a regular Cheshire or North-West meet at a pub or similar?

Cheers, Bob

Hi Bob,

Sounded out interest a little while back about a regular meet in the NW but sadly there just isn't enough of a localised members list to warrant or justify a place on the calender. Saying that, there are a few owners of Tigers in the NW but are spread across from the Cumbria to North Wales.

There is a regular meet organised by some of the Pistonheads crew at a pub near me on the Wirral, so next time that's organised I will post up the date and it would be good to meet up

Its a nice run down to Surrey on the 3rd Weds night for a couple of beers & a curry with 20ish other Tiger owners. Just off M25. The traffic back up north, after midnight, is quiet, so enjoy a run-out in your car.

thats the sort of thing you would do too bob

Bigbob - Thanks for the invite. Surrey's perhaps a bit too far for me atm but, once I've got the overheating sorted, who knows? Plus, have got some friends down near Gatwick Airport so could certainly combine a trip to see them with a drive out to a Tiger meet

Tomaselli - Yes, please let me know about the pistonheads meet

Ralf

I can see that Michael has pointed you at Norm Miller's website and his excellent introduction to knowing a genuine Tiger when you see one.
I can only add that if and when you see the Tiger you have been offered get the factory numbers - Chassis Plate carries the VIN#, Engine# and Paint Code. The JAL plate beside it conveys the Body#. If able to, also obtain the gearbox and axle #'s.
Send that info to stoc@sunbeamtiger.co.uk and we will check it against the Jensen Motors Production Ledgers.
If they all check out, great but that's no gaurantee the car is one that Jensen built as it could be an Alger, meaning all the Tiger components have been placed in another Alpine body. So if you don't know your way around the distinctions take someone along from the Club who does.

Best of luck.
Graham Vickery
STOC Editor