# my friends shop



## gilessim (Mar 23, 2008)

Here are a couple of pics of some friends workshop, they actually make the engines in the pictures, my mum took the pics, I used to work here building the wooden frames for the bodywork, the cars are Sunbeams from the 1920's, you can get an idea of the chaos that they work in!, they really are of the old school! and long may they survive!


----------



## DICKEYBIRD (Mar 23, 2008)

Yup, I'll bet those machines and tools could tell some tales. I have worked on the Sunbeams of later years....Alpines, Tigers, Imps (with the firepump engines.) I didn't know about those early Sunbeams; very interesting indeed.

The blue toolbox in pic 4 really brought back some memories. Those things must be a mandatory piece of kit for European mechanics.

Very early in my automotive career, I worked for an import repair shop here in Tennessee beside a crusty old Irish mechanic that had one of those boxes. It was jammed so full that it probably wouldn't close if one wrench (spanner) was out of place. He taught me how to curse properly.

Later on, my boss at the Jag/MG/Triumph dealer I worked for hired a young Scottish lad. I think he got off the airplane carrying the mandatory folding blue toolbox. Again, it was crammed completely full of tools. He taught me how to drink properly. ;D


----------



## gilessim (Mar 23, 2008)

DB, the early Sunbeams held the land speed record for sometime with a blown (supercharged) version of this engine ,it's a 3 litre to 3.5 litre twin cam with no head, all mounted from the sump!, a 13 gear chain, bronze and steel, driven from the crankshaft running the cams, it was this engine that influenced the Jaguar straight 6 of 60s and 70s, these guys built a custom Sunbeam from old parts with a shortened chassis and a new fully blown 3.5 litre motor that took the record for the Shelsley Walsh hill climb in the UK about 12 years ago ,a yearly event since 1910!

BTW the Alpines and the Tigers (which had I think had a Chevy V8 in them) were made by Sunbeam Talbot and not connected to the old Sunbeams pictured here.

Giles


----------



## Rog02 (Mar 23, 2008)

gilessim  said:
			
		

> DB, the early Sunbeams held the land speed record for sometime with a blown (supercharged) version of this engine ,it's a 3 litre to 3.5 litre twin cam with no head, all mounted from the sump!, a 13 gear chain, bronze and steel, driven from the crankshaft running the cams, it was this engine that influenced the Jaguar straight 6 of 60s and 70s, these guys built a custom Sunbeam from old parts with a shortened chassis and a new fully blown 3.5 litre motor that took the record for the Shelsley Walsh hill climb in the UK about 12 years ago ,a yearly event since 1910!
> 
> BTW the Alpines and the Tigers (which had I think had a Chevy V8 in them) were made by Sunbeam Talbot and not connected to the old Sunbeams pictured here.
> 
> Giles



Tigers had a small block Ford. A few still find their way to Bonneville each year.


----------

