Sunbeam Alpine that will never run again

[cmccuist]

I know, it's a Sunbeam Alpine! WGAF!

But that was my rig in high school. Loved that car. I lived in St. Croix (USVI) about 12 years ago working at the Hovensa refinery. There was an Alpine that was in pretty good shape (I was hoping it was a Tiger) and I thought I could buy it and take it back to the states and have a nice fun car to drive on the weekends and what not. Guy wanted stupid money for it.

Fast forward to today. I'm back in St. Croix. The Hovensa refinery shut down about 5 years ago. I'm doing a project at the Captain Morgan Rum distillery. I thought I'd go see if that Alpine had moved. Sure enough, it's still sitting in the exact same spot:



At one time, that car didn't need much. Now it's a lost cause. No great loss, but how many cars are out there rusting away because the owners think they're going to get them going again one day.

[DanielDudley]

People used to park old horse drawn wagons in the yard, or put wagon wheels by the gates.

They are all gone now, like the great hulks of the old wooden ships rotting into the mud.

[Rodsrsr]

I dont understand why some people (usually old farts) will have a car rotting away outside but refuse to sell it.

[aigel]

Extremely common. It is a form of hoarding. Better than hoarding animals, I'd take it. I have literally seen cars with trees growing out of them. I can't get too upset about it, really, it has something beautiful about it - how nature takes back over.

G

[SiberianDVM]

Originally Posted by Rodsrsr

I dont understand why some people (usually old farts) will have a car rotting away outside but refuse to sell it.

It's a link to their lost youth. After a certain age, money means less than time.

There was a TV show, Highway To Sell, (only lasted a few episodes) where a guy would buy an old car for a low price, giving the owner a chance to buy the car back at auction. I thought that was a decent idea for getting the owner to part with them.

[herr_oberst]

The black plate deuce and a quarter with the companion '59 hardtop makes nice yard art!!!

[Nickshu]

Any car from that era, exposed to as much salt air as there would be in St Croix, doesn't stand a chance over the course of many years even if it were garaged/washed/cared for.

Great car and I'm sure you have great memories of it, if you want another go find one from Arizona or New Mexico LOL.

[wdfifteen]

I know of a E type Jag and a Morgan +4 that met that fate. Old guy would not sell them. Just let them rot away.

[cmccuist]

I found out that Sunbeam also made a V8 version of the same car. Obviously, the Tiger. At the time (1975), There was a great one for sale in the local paper. Really clean, for $4,000. This was 1975. Might as well have been a million.

[tcar]

Have a friend with a couple Tigers, and a Pantera, and a Shelby... like Fords...