TAC - Tiger/Alpine re-shelling discussion thread.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Sun Apr 08, 2012 6:44 pm

meadowhog wrote:If somone get s a nice rust free tiger shell, welds the alpine tunnel, braces and radiator support panel in, swaps in an alpine driveline and then puts the alpines VIN and SAL tags on it.. is the car an Alpine or a Tiger?

100% Alpine obviously.

Other than the extra mounting threads for a tiger whats different about the radiator support panel?

Red Race Tiger · Post by **Red Race Tiger** » Sun Apr 08, 2012 7:18 pm

Ash,

There isn't any.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Sun Apr 08, 2012 9:31 pm

Red Race Tiger wrote:Ash,

There isn't any.

Ta. I need to replace mine along with some other panels

meadowhog · Post by **meadowhog** » Sun Apr 08, 2012 10:08 pm

OK before someone jumps in, there are exhuast brackets, panhard mount, exhuast pass through, missing parts like battery box and quite a few extra holes etc. But should the question be 'before Tiger parts are added is the car an Alpine or Tiger'. At this point of manufacture its physically an Alpine with missing bits.

Now if an Alpine is reshelled with a rust free shell what would we call that? A Tiger with added Alpine bits? I dont think we have got to the crux of it. All non specific Tiger parts should be able to be swapped with Alpine parts and TAC is not seemingly doing a good job at stopping this.

If the front wings are replaced what do you use, Alpine from breakers, new handmade, Original Alpine wings (I cant believe there are any Tiger wings, if there ever were?) Now do you state its 20% Alpine even though it started life as 90% Alpine. Its very convenient to say that wings dont count, why dont they? And if they dont count why not apply that precident to every panel?

Were all enthusiastic with our answers but should we be better with our question/s?

Red Race Tiger · Post by **Red Race Tiger** » Tue Apr 10, 2012 3:57 am

Well here's a question....

If, and i say if there was to be a quantum shift in general thinking which allowed/welcomed in re-bodies who would be the first brave soul to come forward?

My thinking is thats great new's but....not if the car would be seen as a mongral

"IF" this was to happen each and every re-shelled car should be judged on it's own merits and not looked down on.

Otherwise what would be the point?

£40k reshelled Mk2 anyone? But at least it's "ONE" body

gtsmrt · Post by **gtsmrt** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 12:13 am

No need to pose this question as they are already widely accepted and each owner may choose to restore their car any way they choose as fit. If it's a nice car, it's a nice car whether it's an original Tiger/Alpine or converted Alpine. But lets not forget the most important point... FULL disclosure.

alpine5gt · Post by **alpine5gt** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 10:14 am

An interesting point, there has been many discussions regarding the crossover. My Tiger will wear Alpine 5 right front fender, door and rear fender. It will also have a Lat vented hood. So is it a non Tiger? I think not. A more interseting item not covered, how may Genuine Tigers now have modified brakes, transmissions, suspensions and engines.
I rest my case, all of the contributors to this thread have most probably changed something in their Tigers. Just check the origional works Tigers, they were extensivly changed from the standard car.
If the changes were done well and the car is safer and better looking well it is worth the work put in by the owner.

gtsmrt · Post by **gtsmrt** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 12:13 pm

There are obvious similarities between the Alpine and Tiger which make panel replacement very handy as per your Tiger. Yes, many owners including myself strive for a little extra performance (and some a lot) but never the less still remains a Tiger (Talking TAC for a minute, they don't even look at drive train or body mods for a TAC... just key Tiger indicators). Bear in mind that the majority of the people who modify their car, would be able to revert back to original spec if they choose. Please correct me if I am wrong, but weren't the works Tiger's limited to their mods due to the FIA regulations? Not to say that they weren't tweaked, but no where near their potential.
Probably getting a bit off topic here, maybe we need to start a new thread.

Regards, Robin.

Red Race Tiger · Post by **Red Race Tiger** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 12:19 pm

The only original parts left on my car are the shell (minus bonnet boot and doors),windscreen frame back lamps vynil dash and a few gauges.

All i need now is a 1725 and and O/D gearbox and i've cracked it

Would it still be a Tiger

Red Race Tiger · Post by **Red Race Tiger** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 12:44 pm

Blimey,

There's a very valid point that just fell from the sky.....

According to what's been clearly pointed out the TAC system isn't concerned about any mechanical modification's carried out to a Tiger to pass it, ie engine gearbox axle and brakes can all be cast aside and it's still a Tiger? TAC's just looking for Jenson identifiers correct??

In that case surely a Mk1 MK1A or a Mk2 would still be granted a TAC fitted with an Alpine engine gearbox and back axle

Why not?

In these time of austerity and the high price of fuel it sure makes sense to me, and a smaller carbon footprint too....it's the responsible thing to do.

We should all fit Alpine engine's to out car's. It's still a Tiger.

See where i was going with that

gtsmrt · Post by **gtsmrt** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 1:02 pm

It didn't just fall from the sky, it was actually brought up in previous pages. Your car, you can do as you wish with it. We won't judge you and we can even give you your own special class... re-shelled Tiger with half an engine.

Red Race Tiger · Post by **Red Race Tiger** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 1:20 pm

I didn't realize my car was a re-shell?

Half an engine? i'll go with that then

But Robin please answer that question for me, would a Jenson built Tiger fitted with an up and running Alpine running gear pass your TAC system? Surely it couldn't be denied one could it

and if it was on what grounds?

For sure i'd see the funny side of that if someone did

gtsmrt · Post by **gtsmrt** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 1:43 pm

You're talking about an unrealistic and highly hypothetical situation, but I'll humour you. If you had a genuine Tiger unibody that rolled off Jensen's production line, then engineered all the mounts to install a 4 cylinder engine into the body. I would say Yes (no reason to deny it) the body would pass the TAC. I guess it would be a genuine Tiger unibody with non-matching un-original driveline.

By the way, I wasn't saying you had a re-shell just humouring you (you made it clear you had a real Tiger in a previous post). I guess we are both being facetious.

Red Race Tiger · Post by **Red Race Tiger** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 2:54 pm

We both should be on the stage with this amount of humour, perhaps a bouble act

So if as you say you could restore any Tiger ( Lets say that two ended Mk2) for instance which has been TAC'd and use Alpine running gear? And it's stiill TAC'able And it that case as it's already half Alpine to begin with (Back end) the car would indeed be only 1/4 Jenson produced, in fact even less as it had NOS front wings and valance etc....

Stick with me here, so if all that can happen and it's STILL a TAC'd Tiger why on earth can't you take a rotten Tiger and transfere over all the parts to an Alpine shell? There's more genuine Tiger there then the TAC'd half car.

And before someone cries out the Alpine shell HAD A LIFE.....it's not a sentient being. It's not alive. Just a piece of tin.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 3:39 pm

Paul

I hate to be the one to tell you but you might be "flogging a dead horse" there mate