Not your typical V6 powered Alpine!

[Moderator]

British V8 reader Mike Fuchs just sent me two snapshots of his new project. Check it out! :





Mike's Tiger already appears on our website here: http://www.britishv8.org/Other/MikeFuchs.htm

[BMC]

Neat. A 3.4L Crate motor, but what's that for a gearbox? Looks too big to be a T5 but looks different from an auto. It kinda looks familiar but not normal. Will an article appear anytime soon on this car?

-BMC.

[BMC]

I meant to ask about the year and body style. I am not familiar with this at all. The chassis looks terribly familiar but cant tell what it is either. Any answers to any of this?

-BMC.

[Moderator]

Here's the description that came in the e-mail:

Now I am building a 1953 Alpine "restorod". Keeps me in the same club!
It will look fairly stock, but rides on a Chev s-10 frame, 3.4 V-6, 5speed, 4 bar coil over rear end, etc.

Another Alpine of this generation appears here.

Mike's Tiger appears here.

Is that a New Venture NV3500 transmission? Here's a snapshot of Jeb Blanchard's:

[BMC]

Early S10's had two different 4 speed units- the T4 (a T5 without the 5th gear) and something that I think was built by Isuzu. The non-T5 was supposed to be stronger if memory serves but the unit is rare to come across. I have one in a parts truck and have never seen the top but i know they are larger... I wonder if this is the same 4 speed unit?

-BMC.

[BMC]

I thought the frame looked like my S10's but never tore into one too far although we are now tearing the box off the 82 S10 to take care of some rear end damage... While i am there, we may finally drop it down an inch and get that rear axle upgraded too....


So for the Alpine- I love it. Early Alpines are pretty tough to come by now aren't they?

[Bill Young]

Curtis you're right, its the NV3500 transmission like Jeb used. Really puts the shifter a long way forward in most British conversions, the T5 from the Camaro usually fits better as far as shifter location.

[old hp 260]

nice project!! my boss used to have one of those 53-55 sunbeam alpines his was all stock and unrestored and still ran pretty good. that was in the early 80's in el cajon ca. hmmm, i wonder if he still has the car???