Tim:
A couple of summers ago I heard of a guy that had a TIGER for sale for 200
dollars. I phoned him and got a bunch of garbley gooop about the car. The
closest that he came to description was that it was a two seater, the top
was not there, it said Sunbeam on the back trunk lid, and that it had a
plate on the firewall that said Ford.
I knew there was something that did not jive when he mentioned the plate on
the firewall but one never knows and it was only 100 miles away so off I
went on a Sunday afternoon to track it down. The question that one always
asks oneself when these things come up is: "Should I take the trailer or
not?" If you arrive with a trailer it makes the bargaining that much
harder. If you arrive without you may have to drive all the way home and
then back. If it really was a TIGER who would care about bargaining at $200
asking price. Right take the trailer.
I got to the fellows place and then was informed that the 100 miles
included 5 miles of mud to get to his farm. As we navigated the back roads
he mentions that he also has several Albines in the field with the TIGER.
This just builds the conviction that I am on the track of an almost free
TIGER. We arrive in the fast fading light and I see the outlying of three
Sunbeams in the tall grass back of his barn. By this time I am salivating
and my heart is at about double rate. I jumped out ran up to them and the
silhouette are correct they are Sunbeams . . . or rather were Sunbeams.
The cut up and rusted hulks have almost nothing that is salvageable. I look
for the TIGER but they are all Mk Is. My heart drops. The "TIGER" is a Mk I
with a Ford 4 by 4 identity plate, including shift pattern, pop riveted to
the engine compartment shelf were the I D should be.
It was a long way home with the empty trailer but what the hey - it was a
great TIGER hunt.
Godspeed
Jc
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