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SF bay area junk yards - Sebring car

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sunbeam74

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This is a long shot but I thought I would mention there is a possibility the Ken Miles/Lew Spencer Sebring Alpine ended up in a junk yard in the Bay area. Could it still be there? Who knows?

(I have to ask; are there such a thing as old car junkyards, as we all knew and loved growing up, still in existance in the bay area?)

Apparently, the Sebring Alpine was owned by an Alpine enthusiast in the 80's. It appears that the bits, alloy panels and other items, were taken off. The owner passed away in 1994. I can only imagine the chassis/body migrated to the junk yard.

It would be easy to spot... Right hand drive, light pea green, wire wheels - assume it is missing the hood, doors, trunk.

Not too valuable but what a great history. One of three...

Steve
 
Maybe... I suppose it depends on the early life of the car. Figure that it probably was garaged in its early life since it was a race car.

I have found a number of examples over the years of race cars that had been outside and were still salvagable. I had put this presentation together of a few of them... though most of these cars were found in garages there were a few that were simply left outside.

https://www.sunbeamalpine.org/downloads/big_bear_lake_invasion.pdf


Steve
 
Many thanks for the link, Steve! Great photo's and history. I do agree that the cars that are stored inside are not a problem. The ones that are left in the back garden with a tarp that falls apart after a few years are the ones I an discussing.
Cheers,
D.
 
Saw Ceasar Cone's Alpine as one of the pages in the above link. I know C and the car well, and we all used to go race together in the day.
First wife had a series I Alpine, black on black w/hardtop and wires. I hated that car, mostly because it had a smell of old used up car that I could never get rid of. And every thing rattled. And no guts to speak of.

Had enough dangling participles?
 
Hmmm... an Series I. The 1492 motor was small for a car that weighed 2150lbs. It wasn't well tuned either since I think it had migrated from the Sedans which were 1392 with a cast iron head.

Though, Vince Tamburo won the G-P national championship with a Series I in 1960. Probably the only thing that saved it was very good brakes and good handling compared to it's contemporaries.

The Series II would have been a much better car.

Odd that it rattled so much. They were very well made cars compared to other british cars in the same price range. Even today I pick up an old driver Alpine here and there and most are still tight and drive well.

Steve
 
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