Vintage 1933 Sunbeam & Fuel

Hi all,

1st post to this forum but I hope I will be making more contributions soon.

I own a 1924 Bean 14 and a 1933 Sunbeam 16. My question is regarding fuel. They have both been quite happily running on LRP bought from my local garage for the last few years, previous to that, they both ran on Leaded. My garage has now phased LRP out so I am wondering what my next step should be. I can obtain Leaded from another not-so-local garage or I assume I can fill with Unleaded and add an additive. If I use the additive, do I simply put a bit in the tank every time I fill up or should it be pre-mixed and then added to the tank? Will I need to drain the LRP from the tank and then refill?

Sorry for all the "simple" questions but I am not that mechanically minded and just want to keep my cars going...


Thanks

Philip

Welcome to the Forum! Put the additive in your tank just prior to puming the fuel. If it's convenient, please post some pictures in the reader's rides section.

Welcome Philip!!!! Great to have a couple more vintage cars on the forum. Whereabouts in the UK are you? Your Bean is a rare beast. They were made in Tipton, West Midlands, (which I am sure you already know) which was one of my old stomping grounds. They have a nice example of a Bean tourer at the Black Country Museum in Dudley, I want to say it's a 1927 model, so it will be very similar to yours. I did a sketch of the car on one of my visits there before emigrating, with the intention of producing a painting of it......never did, but still have the sketch. One more thing that I need to get around to but never seem to bring myself to!

I must echo the request for you to post pictures.......one car from Tipton, the other made in Wolverhampton. Wonderful!!!!!!!

I suspect it may not matter too much with the Bean. Leaded fuel was only introduced in the 1920s. Prior to that all fuel was unleaded. A 1924 Bean would probably be designed to run unleaded.

I'm not so sure about the Sunbeam.

OK, many thanks for all your replies, I think I'll go for Unleaded + Fuel additive as both cars have been running LRP quite happily for the last few years. I've added a pic of both cars - the Sunbeam in the Sunbeam section and the Bean in the Other Cars section.

Steve, I live in Cannock, close to Wolverhampton so both the Bean and the Sunbeam is local to me. My grandfather originally acquired both cars from an advert in the Wolverhampton Express & Star! He bought these two makes as they were locally produced cars. The Bean in the Black Country Museum is the same as mine - a Bean 14 Tourer, however I think their's is red. If you want more pics, PM me and I'll send over...I have loads...!

Once again, many thanks for all your assistance.

That's interesting, an ad in the E&S. I bought my XJ-12 from a gentleman in Cannock. I still enjoy looking through the classifieds online, used cars are pretty darn cheap over there! I looked at the pictures you posted, and that's a wonderful shot of the Bean. It looks identical to the BCM's car, which I drew with the hood in place. It is indeed a red car, I remember it as a wine red rather than pillar box red. I might dig the sketch out, see if I can play around with it again.