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$2,800 Fastback: 1969 Sunbeam Alpine GT

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Here’s another 1969 British GT car, and I’m positive that this engine photo is the right one for this car! I’m in St. Louis, Missouri for the night and ran across this 1969 Sunbeam Alpine GT in Jefferson City, Missouri. It’s on Craigslist with an asking price of $2,800.

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Some folks call these cars mini-Plymouth-Barracudas. I guess I see more Datsun B210, but that’s just me. This car supposedly has “NO rust issues”, according to the seller. But, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t some bodywork to do.

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This is a California car that hasn’t been registered since 1977! This car does look pretty solid but even though there are a few dents and dings I’ll take that over rust any day of the week. The Rootes Group, which by this time was a partner with Chrysler Corporation, manufactured the Sunbeam Alpine GT, and the fastback bodystyle was made from 1969 to 1975. I absolute love the look of this car, here’s a restored one in white over red; very cool!

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I’m not sure what’s going on with the interior but it sure looks rough. The seller says that the carpets were taken out and bagged up and put in the trunk/boot so as to not get wet. I have no clue what that means, but my first thought is that there’s a leak somewhere and water is getting in? Otherwise, why or how would they get wet? Anywho.. it’ll need a full restoration and that’ll be a tough decision because you’ll most likely be upside down on the financial value in no time.

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Whether those sweet twin-carbs breathe as well as they would with aftermarket air cleaners or not, I’m always on board for an original spec air cleaner on a vehicle. This is a 1,725 cubic-inch inline-four with around 94 hp. It could look like this again, and hopefully it will once someone buys this car and restores it. Normally I’d be excited about a $2,800 car like this, and even though this one supposedly doesn’t have the typical rust issues that can plague the Alpine GT, there’s a lot of work to do and a lot of money to spend on this one. What do you think, is this car worth $2,800?

Comments

  1. Avatar Fred W.

    I’ll admit the rear view does look like an early Barracuda .

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  2. Avatar Scot Douglas

    Wow. 1,725 cubic inch 4 banger. I bet it’s torquey! :)

    Like 1
    • Avatar Scotty G

      Ha, oops.. Good catch, Scot.

      Like 0
    • Avatar Wildfire

      maybe a small block 318 would fit in the mini barracuda ??
      or a celica supra straight 6

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      • Avatar Alvin

        The 318 is too heavy the Toyoya is too long best engine is the aluminum 215 Rover V8.

        Like 1
      • Avatar Sidedraught

        As Alvin said the Buick Rover 215 is a good choice, from personal experience it fits nicely, isnt too heavy and looks period correct.

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    • Avatar Seth

      It also came with a 1,650 three main 4. I owned three of them through the years. You could purchase at a Chrysler dealership. Powered by Lucas (The lord of darkness.)

      Like 0
    • Avatar Seth

      I had three of these jewels and loved every one of them. I bought one and was almost killed on the maiden voyage because someone put radials on the rear and bias ply on the front, damned near swerved me into the path of a Mack dump truck. They also had a 1650 3 main and i understand they weren’t very durable.

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  3. Avatar Bill

    These are fun :) I have owned 3 over the years. The auto box is a little sluggish with out the twin carb set up, but as a standard, they are a lot of fun to drive. Rust did not seem to be that big an issue with the ones I had. Replacement parts can be an issue, but normal Ford oil filter (like used on 302’s and inline 6’s) The GT is the on to have.

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  4. Avatar Don E

    @bill: The auto box? I see three pedals and what looks like a manual Trans shifter.

    I am sooo tempted. But prudence is required on this …. wet? White color hides body work and in “Misery”. Forgive the pun …

    Like 0
    • Avatar Bill

      Just meant I had a couple autos, and the standard was much more fun (though no real complaints about the auto…)

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  5. Avatar Steven C

    This thing is really cool! Definetely mini-barracuda.

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  6. Avatar Coventrycat

    Maybe with our American way of always wanting things bigger, perhaps what we really have are “bloated Alpine GT’s” – we call them Barracudas. Same with the Opel GT. Tougue firmly in cheek…

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  7. Avatar Wildfire

    Looks like a Datsun in the front and Barracuda in the back ~I like how it looks
    but that 4 banger would have to be replaced

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  8. Avatar Sidedraught

    Would look better in black.

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  9. Avatar JCW Jr.

    I think a lot of these cars that would be upside down with a restorationwould be great just fixed up a bit and driven.

    Like 0
  10. HoA Howard A Member

    Yup, we called them mini-Barracuda’s too. I actually liked this car. Very few in the mid-west. Could use a 5 speed ( as I believe the $ is a 4 in the ad) Remember this car was brought out when speed limits were 55. Neat car.

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    • Avatar Bill

      I had a parts car version with an electronic overdrive… the way to go! I can’t tellif this one has it. It was activated by a lever on the column.

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    • Avatar whippeteer

      The speed limit was mostly 65 when this came out. The national 55 limit came in 1973.

      Like 0
  11. Avatar alan

    The inspiration for the Datsun B-210 hatchback.

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  12. Avatar Paul B

    I agree with Bill. They were fun, with the manual transmissions. 1725cc engine is a good one, very solid, 5 mains, good torque, comfortable on the highway. Handling is OK if not on the level of a BMW 1600. I helped a friend buy a nearly new one back in the day and I drove it quite a lot. She loved it, and I liked it fine. I recall the front seats as very comfortable and the rear as perfectly OK. Rootes products were quite good, sturdier than other English brands. Union unrest and a big expenditure on the unfortunate Hillman Imp put the company at death’s door, to be rescued by Chrysler and shepherded through a slow decline. Chrysler never knew what to do with its import acquisitions and ruined both Rootes and Simca. Oh well. The buyer of this will restore it as a labor of love and will never, ever get the money back. That’s OK if you don’t see cars as investments. And I don’t. It’ll be hard to find everything needed to get that interior together, but worth it to the right owner. Good luck to both buyer and seller!

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  13. Avatar Jubjub

    Yeah, but much better looking than a Barracuda. That rear 3/4 shot from above shows a truly stunning greenhouse design on par with some great Italians. The way the the backlight and the quarter window meet is fairly exquisite as the roofline flows through it all uninterrupted into the trunk. I always liked these but never noticed or appreciated that. Hope this one can find love and a rusty donor. I’d think a lot of bits could be sourced from the motherland.

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  14. Avatar rosso1600

    Wow – “This is a 1,725 cubic-inch inline-four with around 94 hp”.

    Probably should have 940 hp at least

    Like 0
  15. Avatar Monsieur Le Baton

    the twin carbs are definitely strombergs, fitted to a variety of applications these are 150CD models.

    Like 0
  16. Avatar RoughDiamond

    I must have muscle cars on the brain, because as others have said the rear certainly favors the Barracudas, but to me at first glance, the front end looks like a mini Ford Talledega.

    Like 0

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