The Sunbeam Tiger can make a great Cobra alternative. They are cheaper and more plentiful. Even though there were more made, there are normally not many available for sale at any given time. Well, there are two barn find Tigers on eBay right now. The first one is a 1966 Sunbeam Tiger and it had been sitting in an Orange County garage since 1985. Find it here on eBay with bidding at $3,050 reserve unmet.
This Tiger is a little rough, but it looks complete and is in much better condition than some Tigers we have featured in the past. It is going to need some major reconditioning, but the sky blue paint and black interior will look great when restored. We just hope that the re-spray is not hiding any nasty rust or body damage.
The seller does not include many details and we are not even sure if the engine runs. It does look clean, but we have to assume it is not running. The underside looks solid and this car should make a great project for someone. You may want to inspect this one in person though to avoid any hidden surprises.
Here is our second Sunbeam Tiger currently for sale. It is also a 1966 and the seller also forgot to include many details. They did mention that this car has been stored for ten years and that it actually runs well. It does need some work too, but looks to be in much better condition than our first example. The current bid does reflect the better condition though. Bidding is at $19,100 with two days left and the reserve met. Find it here on eBay.
The interior looks brand new here. There is no mention of this car’s history, but we can’t help but wonder if it has been restored at some time in the past. If not, this is an amazing time capsule.
The engine looks great and the seller claims that it runs great too. They also claim that the car needs some work on the brakes and clutch to be road worthy. We would probably go through the fuel system while we were at it too unless the seller already did it when they got it running again.
The sale also includes a factory hardtop and a bunch of paperwork. This car is going to go for much more than the project car above, but it looks like you could just go through a few things and drive it. We recommend buying the best you can find, but which one would you guys go for here? A project that may be cheaper now, but cost more down the road? Or a running car that will cost a lot now, but shouldn’t take much to keep on the road?
While there was a time that no project was too big to take on, at this point in my life, I have to go with the one that runs. It’s a whole lot easier to explain to the wife as well.
One plug ugly aftermarket steering wheel on the dark car. Aftermarket wheels and the strg wh. are quick fixes. The black one is the better bet.
I would buy the project car. I always do a complete teardown and full restoration. This ensures a long lasting dependable ride for many years to come. Also performing almost all work myself allows me to have the best at a much lower cost than buying someone elses nightmare, and getting stuck with a restoration regardless.