After almost 20 years, I bid adieu to my forest green 66 Alpine last night.
It was my first car and I have a lot of good memories of driving it around
when my wife and I were newlyweds. Driving it and pushing it, I should say,
because it was one of the least reliable Alpines you'll ever run across!
The one thing I never had problems with was the motor, which had been
rebuilt by mechanics at Air Canada prior to my purchasing it. It was very
quick off the line, and the boys at Air Canada had adorned its dashboard
appropriately with a set of Air Canada wings.
I spent about two years working out the various maladies of a car that had
been laid-up for three or four years. When it finally started gaining some
semblance of reliability, the rust had got out of control, and son number
one was on the way. It had been a dust-collector for the past 12 years or
so because I'd never been able to part with it, hoping initially to restore
it, and then planning to use it as a parts car for a rust-free project.
The car went to Mario Boies, of Hillman fame, son of a Hillman/Sunbeam
dealer and owner of a major parts supply business for the English car hobby
here in Quebec. I'm sure he'll find a good use for it. Although Mario and
I have already agreed on a price, he's told me of his basement full of Imp
parts, so I don't expect that I'll be seeing much actual cash. The Alpine
had to go to make room for a rust-free Imp that I hauled back from
Massachusetts two weeks ago. The Imp has really rekindled my interest in
restoration and I'm hoping to have it on the road by the end of the winter,
or at latest in time for the next Sunbeam invasion!
One day I'll buy another Alpine, and I'll continue to lurk here on the
Alpines list. If anyone would like to talk Imps, though, please contact me
direct. I'd like to establish a little network of Imp owners in the
Northeast.
Best regards to all,
Jonathan Audette
Montreal, Canada
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