[Alpines] Tiger wheels

[Wiencek, Thomas]

You wrote - It would be interesting to figure out a definitive way to
tell the difference between what was supposed to be the  Alpine wheel
and a real Tiger wheel.
Does this mean there is no way to tell the difference?  I thought the
rivets were different or something else.

-----Original Message-----
From: alpines-bounces+wiencek=anl.gov at autox.team.net
[mailto:alpines-bounces+wiencek=anl.gov at autox.team.net] On Behalf Of
rande
Sent: Friday, April 18, 2008 6:03 PM
To: tigers at autox.team.net
Cc: alpines at autox.team.net
Subject: Re: [Alpines] Tiger wheels

Sorry to responding late.

Stu, the memo cautioning the use of Tiger wheels for competitive events
is actually
on page 19 of the Sunbeam 260 Owners Handbook. To drive home the message
sooner,
some handbooks had an additional sticker affixed to the inside of the
front
cover with the same admonition, 'The standard tyres and road wheels
fitted to
this car are not considered suitable for use in competitive motoring
events...'along
with the warning not to take advantage of the valance aperture to hand
crank
the (Tiger)motor, as the radiator is in the way. DA.

Gary, when I asked when the Rootes production line started using the
Tiger road
wheel for Alpines, I didn't have any inside knowledge. It's just a
common decision
with car makers that, given a change in specifications for a replacement
part,
if a part is deemed to fit more models, it makes more financial sense to
order
more of the replacement part and use it as well on the assembly line,
and try
for a price concession from the supplier in exchange for the larger
order. If
the car maker thinks there's a safety issue with the old part, that's
even more
incentive.

There's always the possibility that, like the Ford 260 engine, they
ordered
so many ahead of time that they chose to use up remaining stock on the
Alpines
before ordering and switching to the Tiger wheel.

It would be interesting to figure out a definitive way to tell the
difference
between what was supposed to be the  Alpine wheel and a real Tiger
wheel, but
for most Alpine folks who haven't owned their cars for forty years, who
knows
if the previous owner didn't swap wheels knowingly or not.
Alpines at autox.team.net
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