Try this:
http://sunbeamclubfrance.free.fr/
Russ
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Brower" <dbrower@loonland.com>
To: <alpines@autox.team.net>
Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2002 6:43 PM
Subject: Alpines and Tigers in France
> Bonjour!
>
> Okay, I guess I can9t fool you...I9m an American living in France. Guess
you
> heard my accent!
>
> > I9ve recently become enamored of Tiger and Alpine Sunbeam9s and was
> wondering
> > how I could figure out how to buy a left hand drive one in Paris (or
France
> > for that matter, or even the U.K.) and if in France there was a club and
> > sufficient support vendors/mechanics to help me once I9ve bought it!
I9m
> > wondering also what the difference could be between buying a pretty much
> > restored one vs. one that needs restoration (in terms of cost and
> > maintenance).
> >
> > I9m not the mechanic type AT ALL, and so wouldn9t want to spend my life
> under
> > the hood, so it9s more for the pleasure of driving it and maintaining it
> with
> > the help of a good mechanic, etc. Doing rallies, meetings, etc.
> >
> > I9m not sure that I have the money to really buy and then maintain one,
> unless
> > there is maybe a pretty well established investment value linked to the
car
> > (obviously above and beyond the passion of it all!) which could convince
me
> > cause I9m going to have to find a garage to house the car which I will
have
> to
> > pay for as well, plus insurance, etc. But trying to figure out what the
> > average monthly cost could be to have one of these as a toy would be fun
to
> > calculate and see if I could handle it. I wonder if buying one in the
U.S.
> > And having it shipped over here wouldnt be fun too...and in the end
less
> > expensive overall...
> >
> > I think Id like to find a Tiger due to bigger engine and tires which
sounds
> a
> > bit more fun. But I actually prefer the wing tailed look of the Alpine
but
> > from what I understand the engines are smaller on these, although there
> must
> > be models with upgraded engines to the V6 model...and I wonder what year
is
> > the best for these cars anyway?
> >
> > I just want to be like James Bond in Dr. No driving around the
> mountains...my
> > version being driving around the French countryside and the Arc de
Triomphe
> in
> > Paris in a convertible oldie! A lifetime dream!
> >
> > I9ve lived here for over 10 years now. I was looking at 1973-1974 MGB9s
> also
> > and even some Triumph Spitfires, but I think I like the best the
Sunbeams
> > even if they are surely more difficult to find, more expensive to buy,
and
> > probably much harder and more costly to maintain given they are no
longer
> > produced and there were not that many produced in the first place. But
> there
> > must be some in France that came over from the UK with left hand drive
that
> > are sitting around...
> >
> > Thanks for starting the dialogue with me on this rediscovered dream
which I
> > hope you can share your passion and knowledge about, not to mention
time.
>
> Best,
>
> David
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