Geltlemen,
Ah, but there is no comparison between the 2.3 litre Sunbeam
Talbot OHV engine and an early Hillman Minx. I cruise comfortably at 60-65
mph all day (~3,000 rpm) if required in any of my Sunbeam Talbots and MKI
Alpine. I have logged over 3,500 miles this year alone on the 1953 Alpine.
They are a comfortable touring car, not a bumpy little sports car....(I can
hear the keyboards pounding now! ........smile...)
Later,
Bob
At 09:54 PM 10/25/2000 -0400, jeyerman@ix.netcom.com wrote:
>I too have had the itch for a somewhat exotic car-being a Hillmanite, the
>car was a 1951 Hillman Minx. A mistake.... why? I loved the car, it was
>neat but it had an absolute top speed of about 60 MPH and that sounded and
>felt like it was about to take off or blow it's poor little engine all
>over the macadam. That really wasn't the main problem though- at 40 MPH
>it felt like a modern car doing 120 .... on ice. Handling was terrible
>(even with a rebuilt suspension). So, a 10 mile trip to a local car show
>was an experience you would not want to repeat. I could have trailered it
>but what is the fun in that?
>
>A Series I Alpine is a very driveable car-it goes, turns and stops with
>modern cars-thus road trips can be fun. A Sunbeam Talbot 90 might not be
>as much fun an Interstate. It will probably go OK, but the handling and
>braking will be pure early 1950's.... pretty poor. You will develop a
>great admiration of the skill and courage of the drivers who rallied it
>accross the Alps in Winter....
>
>Jan Eyerman
>1959 Hillman Minx
>1973 Plymouth Cricket
>ex-owner of 2 1951 Hillmans plus about 100 other Rootes sedans, wagons and
>convertibles.
>
>bmounce@impop.bellatlantic.net wrote:
> > You're crazy; God bless you!
>
>I have noted over the years that people who like offbeat/unusual/not
>run-of-the-mill/etc cars strive for increasingly rare and unusual cars to
>increase the challenge and draw admiring glances from the average person
>and even from the people who drive 'exotic' cars, like Ferraris. This is
>healthy!
>
>If you've asked the question, you know the answer- scratch your itch!
>
>Bill
>
>Alex & Peggy McGregor wrote:
>
> > I'm thinking of selling my S1 and buying a 54 Talbot Drophead Coupe.
> > Anybody want to tell me I'm crazy and/or offer encouragement, and why?
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Robert (Bob) A.C. Hamilton, Waverley, Nova Scotia, Canada
The Man of Many Sunbeams - Alpine, Drophead and Saloon 1953-1954
[Stable mates - 1973 Midget and 1968 M-B 280SE]
Home Page: www.navnet.net/~hamilton
BATANS Home Page: www.batans.ns.ca
E-Mail: hamilton@accesswave.ca
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