Lemon Twist:

1966 Sunbeam Tiger V8
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For long, the Sunbeam Tiger has been labeled as the poor man's Cobra, and perhaps that's still true to this day.

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Mouse Over the Photos to Enlarge.

While a genuine 289 Cobra is now valued at over a million dollars, a contemporary 289 Tiger can be had for 10% of that amount, often less.

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For those of us who have to work for a living, even that might be a bit rich.

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The 1966 Sunbeam presented here, VIN *CA 975549*, started life as an Alpine. The previous owner who resides in Santa Barbara, spent years and a small fortune to converted the car to Tiger specification, with a twist of lemon added.

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The car comes witha clean California title and is currently registered to the black California plates shown in the photo above.

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Let's look under the hood . . .

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Motorvation comes from a Holley-fed, high performance Ford 302-V8 with aluminum heads, mated to a Ford T5 5-speed manual transmission, and Dana 44 rear with Auburn posi.

The engine specs are as follows:

  • Ford 302 block (C80E-6015-A)
  • 405 HP at 6,200 rpm and 380 lb-ft of torque at 4,300
  • AFR aluminum heads, 168cc runners, 58cc heads
  • 9.7:1 Sealed Power forged pistons
  • CompCams Xetreme Energy roller cam (XE266HR-12) and roller lifters.
  • Ford Racing roller rockers
  • High pressure oil pump
  • High volume water pump
  • 16 inch flex fan
  • Hooker headers
  • Edelbrock street intake manifold
  • Holly 600 CFM carb, Holly electric fuel pump and heavy-duty fuel filter
  • Ford re-curved electronic distributor, full advance at 2500 RPM

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The body is straight, rust free, with good good gaps and shut lines all around.
Photos below show it in more detail . . .

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Equipped with roll-up windows and a near-new canvas top, this Sunbeam can be enjoyed in every part of the country.

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Black canvas convertible top is in excellent condition, without any flaws or fading to note.

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Tiger is equipped with VTO 15x7" wheels, which are flawless without any curb rash to report.

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A set of new Hankook Ventus V2 tires has been mounted just a couple of months ago.

Date codes are 48/22 and 51/22.

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Let's move on to the interior now . . .

Doors are solid as a rock. No play in the hinges, no corrosion at the lower seams.

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Following the performance theme, the classic British dash has genuine carbon fiber inserts. Seats and carpeting are flawless.

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More to follow . . .

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RETURN TO THE SHOWROOM


You are most welcome to inspect this cool Sunbeam at our location in Ventura, by appointment, or have someone inspect it for you.
Please, direct all inquiries to info@californiaclassix.com or call us at (805)792-9797.