1965 Tiger - Home At Last!

[Adventurer_96]

I received my Tiger a few weeks back after a 1 1/2 year restoration on all the stuff I couldn't do myself, like body/brakes/engine/transmission/etc.

The car showed up driveable, but no sooner did I get it to the garage then I found a brake leak and an antifreeze leak.

And so it begins...

I bought the car from a coworker after a few years of harassment, he purchased it in 1966. It was a solid choice for a restoration, now I'm just going to be in the position of having to get this back to "worry free driving condition," as I like to think of it. By worry free, of course, I mean that I can generally rely on it working.

 

[Sherlock]

Congrats!

Sounds like quite a find, your coworker is pretty much the original owner of the car.

As for reliability, it's a British car... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Enjoy your new car.

 

[Tullamore]

[ QUOTE ]
As for reliability, it's a British car... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Not the drivetrain though!

 

[Barry Knight]

At a car show a couple of years ago, one of the "Big Healey" crowd made the comment that he never thought of the Tiger as being a British sports car. His explanation was "When you turn the key, it starts; how can it possibly be British?".

 

[Tullamore]

They do have wires with plenty of Lucas smoke though!

 

[r67cat]

Congratulations! Don't be discouraged with the inevatible sorting out that will be needed after a complete restoration. I have yet to complete a restoration that did not have a few issues. Keep the first test drives short with a cell phone and a couple of hand tools near by. Most problems will be fittings not properly tightened. Good Luck, Rick

 

[kennypinkerton]

These are deinately A-list cars for me. Beautiful styling!

 

[Barry Knight]

Kenneth Howes joined Rootes in 1956 and it is generally agreed that he was responsible for the styling of the Alpine and, subsequently, the Tiger.

What is seldom mentioned is that Howes was in charge of the Ford design studio in the early '50's (while the Thunderbird was being designed) prior to joining Rootes.

The bottom line is that the similarity between the Alpine / Tiger and the T-bird is probably not a coincidence.

 

[kennypinkerton]

2 Kens don't make a right... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif I always thought they looked alot like T-birds, but was afraid to ask - thought I'd make someone mad. I guess ford had a slightly bigger budget though for theirs... But the Alpine and Tiger look better to me for some reason - maybe a constant mind-upgrade on what he really wanted. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

 

[Adventurer_96]

One strange thing that I've noticed about these cars is they look much better in person as compared to photos. For some reason, the Tiger seems to be one car that really comes into its own when you see it in person, as compared to a photo.

Maybe that's just how I felt about mine!

 

[DrEntropy]

I prefer the view of it from the drivers' seat /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

They're waaay too much fun to drive. ALMOST as much fun as a lawn dart /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif

 

[Adventurer_96]

No the "lawn dart" is much more fun.

That being said, I'm very happy behind the wheel of this car, it's quite a drive.

 

[thegoodbeamer]

Happy behind the wheel?
I always thought it was exhilarting!!!!

 

[DrEntropy]

He just confirmed: He's jaded with "two dimensional flight."

heh. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif

 

[Adventurer_96]

Ha!

Not quite, but sometimes I wonder.

 

[jfslenes]

Hey guys, it's not the look of the gato that atracts your eye...turn the key and that recognizable sweet song of the non crossflowed dual exhaust of the small block awakens the ear connection thru the brain to the heart. Then the foot!