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Sunbeam Tiger reissue questions


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Tiger first issue was in later 70's, molded in yellow, ugly flares. Prior to that, only Get Smart.

I built one in the early '80 for a girlfriend who wanted a model of her red MG Midget. The Tiger was the closest thing I could find. I don't think I'd ever seen or noticed the kit before that, so your timeline makes sense. If a "non-Smart" Tiger had been available in the late '60s or early '70s, I'm sure I would have bought and built one then.

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AMT was doing a lot of TV/movie car kits in the mid/late Sixties.  After the two Munsters car kits which were wildly successful, they had a few misses.  My Mother the Car:  show lasted a full season but the kit doesn't seem to have set the world on fire.  Those could be had in unassembled form at around "current kit price" into the Nineties.  The Hero Imperial: show lasted six episodes, kit probably dead on arrival, hit the shelves after the show was cancelled.  T.H.E. Cat Corvette: don't know how long the show lasted but again, kit doesn't seem to have set any sales records.  I doubt the Get Smart Sunbeam did too much sales-wise back then either.  The only surprise would have been that it was tooled from scratch.  All the other car kits (except the Munsters and Man from U.N.C.L.E.) were modified from existing kits.

The Sunbeam was issued only four times: Get Smart, yellow Lesney issue Tiger, Ertl Blueprinter issue, and the current Round 2 issue. 

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MPC did TV cars too, many were 1 hit wonders, trashed some tools. Beverly Hillbilly car (somehow surviving the Jolly Roger goofy thing later); awful Mannix Toronado (did it kill the 66-67 Johan tooled body MPC issued in '67?); Airfix/maybe Heller based tool of DB5 Bond and Toyota 2000; and a ton of showrods (Moon Buggy, Ice Cream Truck, Phone Booth,...) most of which were not reissued. 

Hero Imperial was kind of neat, it had a ton of retooling of grille, etc. with goofy fringe on the rockers, but silver dollars, lots of other tooling. Killed my beloved 64-66 Imperial tool, but cool. The Western Pickup was the same, but was pre-cut as the Imperial pickup that was option since 65 IIRC (Mark, Snake, correct me if it was 64)

I thought the Smart version had fixed bumper rams too. I found instructions off the Drastic Plastics site so here's the diffs. Engine, bumpers, hood, shifter, phone, antenna, and whatever else you guys see I missed :) Hope my posts help some. 

 GetSmartSunbeamAlpine-vi.thumb.jpg.489a1GetSmartSunbeamAlpineAssy2and3-vi.thumb.GetSmartSunbeamAlpineAssy4-vi.thumb.jpg.GetSmartSunbeamAlpineAssy5-vi.thumb.jpg.

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Well, those posted instruction sheet pics by Keyser of the Get Smart 4-cylinder kit help explain a little bit of my confusion regarding how to install the V-8 engine in the reissued Tiger kit.  Part #37, (the V-8's Engine Mount piece), doesn't even exist on the Get Smart instruction sheet.  (It looks like that 4-cylinder motor is held in place by the transmission cross-member in the rear and the lone, upper radiator hose upfront).  

So now I'm guessing that Part #37 is an add-on piece for the V-8 to mount to, and the "vagueness" is somewhat explained!  I'll post more info here once I do some dry-fitting and make a determination on how Part #37 should be glued in-place.

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The Get Smart car had the 13" compact car ww in it. The awful skinnies were in the first issue of Tiger in 70's I guess, and the wide stuff too. They look OK on a Jeep or dune buggy, but stink otherwise. I was bummed when I saw those in re-issue. 

I tried to use Corvair AMT compact tires and they didn't fit well

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MPC did TV cars too, many were 1 hit wonders, trashed some tools. Beverly Hillbilly car (somehow surviving the Jolly Roger goofy thing later); awful Mannix Toronado (did it kill the 66-67 Johan tooled body MPC issued in '67?); Airfix/maybe Heller based tool of DB5 Bond and Toyota 2000; and a ton of showrods (Moon Buggy, Ice Cream Truck, Phone Booth,...) most of which were not reissued. 

Hero Imperial was kind of neat, it had a ton of retooling of grille, etc. with goofy fringe on the rockers, but silver dollars, lots of other tooling. Killed my beloved 64-66 Imperial tool, but cool. The Western Pickup was the same, but was pre-cut as the Imperial pickup that was option since 65 IIRC (Mark, Snake, correct me if it was 64)

I thought the Smart version had fixed bumper rams too. I found instructions off the Drastic Plastics site so here's the diffs. Engine, bumpers, hood, shifter, phone, antenna, and whatever else you guys see I missed :) Hope my posts help some. 

 GetSmartSunbeamAlpine-vi.thumb.jpg.489a1GetSmartSunbeamAlpineAssy2and3-vi.thumb.GetSmartSunbeamAlpineAssy4-vi.thumb.jpg.GetSmartSunbeamAlpineAssy5-vi.thumb.jpg.

Hero Imperial was a 1966.

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I think the changed backing plates with Tiger issue, as it had awful small tires. I forget whether they were 2 piece or once piece, but they were awful. I kind of recall 2-piece tires. Just looked at instructions on the Drastic site. They were one piece. Had really blocky but small tread. Different from the Michelins that were in the VW's about that time. The 2 piece tires were in the Capri II I guess, also 76-78. 

Try the small tires that were on Vegas, and have appeared in some stuff lately. 

Yes, Hero was based on 66, issued in 67-68. But the pickup top option appeared I think in the '65 annual, was in 66 annual and Hero, then rear deck cutout factory done in Western Pickup (body still had fringe rocker, horseshoe doorhandles, silver dollars on grille and rear bumper, etc. Just no convertible interior/boot. 

Edited by keyser
grammar
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MPC's Toronado did NOT use Jo-Han's body

They are/were Completely Different kits

I have a couple Jo-Han 66's and an MPC 67

Though Very similar

and parts Might interchange, they are Not the same!!!

MPC's kit had a 1 pc engine bay/underhood area with Inner Fenders, Firewall & Radiator wall

Jo-Han had separate firewall, radiator support and 'inner fenders

The Jo-Han pieces did Not even touch each other when assembled!!!

 

As to the Custom. Was the Mannix Roadster first, or Harry Bradley's "Californian"???

The Californian was still a Coupe/hardtop, so believe that would have been first

 

AMT issued the Jo-Han 66 as a 67

and later offered Jo-Han's 70.

I have Both AMT & Jo-Han 70's

There is NO doubt they are the Same kit!!

Also My Jo-Han 66-67's are AMT boxed!!

 

MPC's 67 has Correct front Corner/fender lights (separate Chrome Pieces)

The AMT boxed Jo-Han does Not!!

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I think the changed backing plates with Tiger issue, as it had awful small tires. I forget whether they were 2 piece or once piece, but they were awful. I kind of recall 2-piece tires. Just looked at instructions on the Drastic site. They were one piece. Had really blocky but small tread. Different from the Michelins that were in the VW's about that time. The 2 piece tires were in the Capri II I guess, also 76-78.

Try the small tires that were on Vegas, and have appeared in some stuff lately.

Yes, Hero was based on 66, issued in 67-68. But the pickup top option appeared I think in the '65 annual, was in 66 annual and Hero, then rear deck cutout factory done in Western Pickup (body still had fringe rocker, horseshoe doorhandles, silver dollars on grille and rear bumper, etc. Just no convertible interior/boot.

The original Get Smart had the small wheels and the tiny solid 1-piece tires as seen in the Corvair kits of the day.

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The old Corvair annual kits and the Get Smart Sunbeam used the old AMT compact car tire.  The tire used in some recent AMT kits like the Ohio George Ranchero and Piranha Spy Car are similar, but not the same.  The old kit tire had a slight ridge on the center hole.  The Ranchero uses the old promo/Craftsman series tire which has a channel around the center hole, plus a filler piece on the back side.  For the Ranchero, the filler piece is trimmed out and a whitewall printed on.  The very slight difference between the two tires is why the newer tire is sometimes a sloppy fit on older kit wheels.

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Happy dance!  Just double-checked to make sure the pay phone is in the newest Sunbeam Tiger release.  It is.  Makes me happy because I have an IMC "Touch Tone Terror." That's the old Dodge A100 pickup/Little Red Wagon kit with Bell Telephone service truck option.  It included a complete vintage phone booth. Bought it at a swap meet years ago and it had all the clear parts and decals for the phone booth, but was missing the pay phone and receiver.  So now I can build a complete vintage 1/25 phone booth...just in case I ever need one.

Speaking of the "Touch Tone Terror" - if you think modern kits have a lot of flash, you should see this thing.  Mine is an original, first-run issue from the 1960's. I had to literally carve some parts out of flash just to get them off the sprue.  And the white plastic is translucent/transparent in many places. 

It's in progress, I'm replacing the body with a Jimmy Flintstone resin van body.  Will probably make it a TV service truck.  Which was actually an option Dodge offered for that van.  Found a brochure showing it on the internet.

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My age is showing. I built the Get Smart Alpine but went with a stock 4cyl look. As I recall I used a set of AMT 13" ?  tires that were very common in AMT compact cars produced in the '60s. Even used a set of wire wheels from the past to add a little bling to the Alpine. Picked up one of the reissued kits but haven't decided what tires I'll used to build the Tiger.

 

robw

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...but haven't decided what tires I'll use to build the Tiger.

I'm building my Tiger as a early-1970's roadracer, and I found two different choices for tires that I think will work for my build.  My first choice is made up of 2 pairs of front tires from some of the early-releases of the AMT 1949 Ford Coupe kit. They're molded solid and stiff, and are lettered as Goodyears with a relatively-small sidewall height and a wide treadwidth.  The second choice are 2 pairs of front tires from the early-releases of MPC Indy Car kits like the 1974 Johnny Rutherford #3 McLaren... also Goodyears having a small sidewall height and wider treadwidth.   

Edited by '70 Grande
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I've just finished clean-up on most of the chassis and suspension pieces for this kit before they go into the paint booth.  Boy, it seems like there's alot of "vagueness" to how some of the parts assemble-together and go into the main chassis piece.  

The part #37 Engine Mount has me somewhat baffled.  I can see how its supposed to mount to the Front Suspension Upper plate piece, but I'm perplexed by how the engine then mounts to it.  And it seems like this part #37 can be mounted one way to make the engine stand "taller/higher" inside the engine compartment, or flip it over and it'll make the engine "shorter/lower" inside the engine compartment.  The instruction's illustration really isn't clear on how this piece should be mounted.

Guess I'll have some test-fitting to do!

Any follow up on this? Especially how to install part #37 correctly?

 

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Any follow up on this? Especially how to install part #37 correctly?

Well, yes and no.  First, to attempt at making this information somewhat "clear" to understand, imagine that Part #37 is the capital letter "T", turned 90 degrees as if laying down on the ground, and one leg of the letter's top-crossbar, (now-vertical) is longer than the other leg.  Does that make any sense?  

I have figured out that Part #37 needs to be installed with the longer/taller, now-vertical top-crossbar positioned going up and into the engine compartment behind the radiator.  But, what now has me perplexed is that when  Part #37 is positioned/installed like that, it comes so close to the backside of the radiator that it looks to me like the engine will mount onto Part #37 at the bottom of its lower fan belt pulley.   I'll try to post some pics a little later this evening.

Edited by '70 Grande
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i don't have my re-ish handy but here's real thing. Not symmetric, LHD probably induced them to put on R side for Tiger, likely most LHD. I don't recall noticing a RHD Tiger, actually.  

You may want to test fit ignoring the piece too, or fiddling with scrap plastic for pad mount. The top of the carb looks like it ends up just below the point where the top rests on the cowl. Make it look like the 1:1, it's so tight in there you'll never see it. :)

Image result for sunbeam tiger engine mounts

Image result for sunbeam tiger engine mountsamt tiger3

I'm sure someone will comment this has been posted elsewhere here, or it doesn't look like real weathering ;)

Edited by keyser
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  • 1 year later...
6 minutes ago, '70 Grande said:

Yes, they are those same tires as found in the kits you mentioned.  Do you need a set of them, 'cuz I won't be using the ones that came in my Sunbeam Tiger kit?

Thanks, Mark, I just couldn't quite make out the tires in the posted image. 

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On 9/15/2016 at 6:36 PM, '70 Grande said:

 

Well, yes and no.  First, to attempt at making this information somewhat "clear" to understand, imagine that Part #37 is the capital letter "T", turned 90 degrees as if laying down on the ground, and one leg of the letter's top-crossbar, (now-vertical) is longer than the other leg.  Does that make any sense?  

I have figured out that Part #37 needs to be installed with the longer/taller, now-vertical top-crossbar positioned going up and into the engine compartment behind the radiator.  But, what now has me perplexed is that when  Part #37 is positioned/installed like that, it comes so close to the backside of the radiator that it looks to me like the engine will mount onto Part #37 at the bottom of its lower fan belt pulley.   I'll try to post some pics a little later this evening.

Hate to say this, but I still do not understand how one mounts part #37! Any photos of this? 

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