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ROOTES REVIEW
Tigers East / Alpines East
Vol. 40, No. 2
February, 2014
Dedicated to the preservation, restoration and enjoyment of all Rootes Group vehicles
39th Annual B.A.S.H.
&
Valve Cover Racing
Sat 14 June, 2014
HERSHEY, PA
“Where Sunbeams and friends meet”
Your B.A.S.H. this year promises to be memorable. Although it is a one day event your experience
can begin Friday evening 13 June with other Sunbeamers at the Hollywood Casino Mountain View
Restaurant watching live thoroughbred racing from your own trackside table or having fun losing more
money than the cost of a Sunbeam at the Casino. Saturday B.A.S.H. begins 9ish in the morning at
the “Hershey Grand Ascent” Vintage Hill climb, home of the previous Hershey Vintage Hillclimb where
we will see, feel, smell and hear the sounds of vintage race machines, including our VP Joe Parlanti
and his Fiat Abarth, ascend the famous hill to Hotel Hershey.
We will then have lunch at the AACA Museum while our Beams are displayed on the front lawn for
Museum visitors to admire. Tiger Tom will provide a tour while Valve Cover Racing and our family
reunion continues throughout the afternoon. If you survive the day, we will proceed to a local
establishment for fun evening of dining.
For those willing to stay overnight Saturday in the Hershey area, you will be treated to “The Elegance
at Hershey” on Sunday modeled after the finest of European and American Concours d’Elegance
presentations located on the gardens of Hotel Hershey. Think Pebble Beach.
Here are some links for the places you may experience at the B.A.S.H.
Hollywood Casino/ Mountain View Restaurant: http://www.hollywoodpnrc.com/
Grand Ascent & Elegance: http://theeleganceathershey.com/event/the-elegance/
AACA Museum.org: www.aacamuseum.org
Additional B.A.S.H. info, Registration, directions, lodging, etc. and
Valve Cover Racing rules and info is on the TEAE website
www.teae.org
A variety of lodging is available near Hollywood Casino (exit 80 of
I-81) and the Hershey area. Your contact person and host for the
BASH this year is Wes Rittenhouse. 717-838-5180 or
wes.rittenhouse@gmail.com
ROOTES REVIEW
Page 2
Mail all submissions to:
From the Editors’ Perspective
Fred Baum, Editor
626 Kathleen Drive
Nazareth, PA 18064
610.614.0475
whizzzbang13@aol.com
As I sit here at the computer thinking of what to write I can see the snow falling, which has been
happening since very early this morning. There’s about 8 inches out there right now and I’m glad
I don’t have to go out, since my driveway is not yet plowed (my cardiologist would have a heart
attack if I tried doing it myself).
Membership Information:
Like the rest of you that live in the snow/cold belt, I am anxiously awaiting the robins to signal
spring and the driving season. Merry Sue and I went on a dinner outing with the local MG club
members last weekend and it was great to talk to other gearheads about LBCs and the plans for
the upcoming season.
Joe McConlogue
joe.mcconlogue@yahoo.com
Printed newsletter
via U.S. Mail
One year $39 in USA,
$42 International
Two years $69 in USA,
$76 International
I hope you are enjoying the Garage Tour series. It’s fun to see what others have (or don’t have) in
their work spaces. I think you’ll be blown away by some of this month’s submissions. There are a
lot of garages this month since there is little going on (typical this time of year) and the articles
are sparse.
Don’t forget the B.A.S.H. this year. Notice the date has been moved to June 14 rather than the
usual May date. This should bode well for the weather in this area and let’s hope for a big turnout
with lots of valve covers for racing.
Electronic newsletter
via TE/AE website
By the way, if your hard copy of the Rootes Review is damaged when you receive it please notify
One year $34 in USA
Joe McConlogue, our Membership Chair. His email is: joe.mcconlogue@yahoo.com. He has
or International, two years extra copies of the newsletter and can send you a fresh copy.
$60 USA or International
Make check payable to: Fred Baum
TE/AE
Mail checks and address changes to:
Tiger & Alpine parts
Heater core cover, blasted and primed with latch mechanism; heater core cover, no
mechanism; windshield surround; (3) “Sunbeam” scripts, like new; (2) heater cores;
820 Fishing Creek Valley round corner hood – hood is pick up only. All prices plus shipping except hood.
Joe McConlogue
Road
Harrisburg, PA 17112
Contact: Fred Baum at WHIZZZBANG13@AOL.COM or: 610.614.0475
For Sale
Sunbeam Tiger rear axle assembly with brake backing plates. Cleaned, primed and painted; has
new axle seals and new wheel studs.
Located in Waterloo, Ontario which is approx. 2 hours from Buffalo NY, 3 hours from Detroit. $200.00 FOB Waterloo.
Contact: Brian Ward at: briward@rogers.com
Welcome New Members
Curtis, Kragh
Denver, CO
Renick, Tom
Mobile, AL
Richardson, Dan & Linda
Greenwood, SC
Saunders, Cliff
Calverton, NY
Page 3
ROOTES REVIEW
2014 Officers
From the President
PRESIDENT
Pam Jeffers
W 1531 Spring Coulee Road
Genoa, WI 54632
Jeffers@mwt.net
Well, I am back in Wisconsin after getting iced in in Pensacola, FL. Hopefully
your winter is going better than mine. First my plane to Pensacola was delayed a
day on the way there because of snow and then my planes have been delayed
due to ice and fog twice while trying to get back to Wisconsin. So instead of getting home on Wednesday I made it back to Genoa on Monday after an attempt on
Friday.
VICE PRESIDENT
However before all the ice I was able to meet TE/AE member David Hambrick
John Logan, Jr.
and see his family of Sunbeams in Pensacola. Then, as I left with my sister and
4395 Springwater Beach Rd. brother-in-law, David started up one of his Tigers and drove it back to work.
Boyne City, MI 49712
Tom has been spending the time I have been gone staying warm in below zero
1slainte@gmail.com
SECOND VP
Jim D’Amelio
813 Thames Drive
Hampton, VA 23666
SECRETARY
Jim Lindner
1832 Duffield Lane
Alexandria, VA 22307
jliny5@cox.net
weather and working out in the garage on his Mustang. He is hoping to have it
back together for the 50th anniversary of the Mustang in April. Remember that it is
not just the Mustang celebrating it’s 50th year. The Tiger is also celebrating its
50th anniversary this year with celebrations in:
England ( http://www.sunbeamtiger.co.uk ),
SUNI VI in Colorado Springs ( http://www.sunivi.com ),
United XXXIII in Boyne Mountain, MI ( http://www.rootesamerica.org/hotel/ ).
If you go to England or the SUNI VI and want to share your experiences with the
rest of us, our newsletter editor would love an article with or without pictures.
TREASURER
In ending, to make us forget the cold, icy, snowy weather some of us are experiBarb Geschke
encing:
1616 63rd Drive
Union Grove, WI 53182-9638 What Rootes projects are you working on while you are waiting to get your cars
on the road?
abgeschke@yahoo.com
REGALIA
Eric Gibeaut
P.O. Box 10040
Fort Jackson, SC 29207
Sunbeams@sc.rr.com
What local, regional or national car shows are you looking forward to this year?
Pam Jeffers
Board of Directors
Tom Calvert
410-255-8964
Tom Ehrhart
717-832-1116
Eric Gibeaut
803-408-0206
Joe Parlanti
240-632-0649
Dave Reina
718-599-1237
Judy Sharkey
540-586-4969
Steve Towle
207-465-7629
Regional Representatives
Carolinas:
Eric Gibeaut
803-408-0206
Ohio:
Doug Jennings
937-256-0993
Pennsylvania:
Tom Ehrhart
717-832-1116
New Jersey:
Bill Mounce
610-659-3307
Virginias:
Russ Eshelman
540-872-3684
Deep South:
Bill Evans
334-347-5373
Chesapeake:
Joe Parlanti
240-632-0649
Midwest:
Curt Bowland
630-455-6697
New England:
Stu Brennan
508-384-2488
Florida & Georgia:
Steve Halbrook
813-681-5248
ROOTES REVIEW
Well, look at this!
Main Street, Tiger,
Georgia. The telephone poles have
wires on them so I
guess people still
live here. Bet we
could drag race a
couple of Tigers
down Main Street
and not even get a
dog to bark. What
do you think?
Bob Harper
Maybe we should
have the United
there? Ed.
The Tiger and the Autotrain
The March, 2014 issue of Classic Motorsports has an article on page 17 & 18 by
Marjorie Suddard about the Suddard’s experiences on the Autotrain when they traveled to
the United XXXII in Maryland last year. The article describes their experience and also has
a sidebar about the origins of the Autotrain poster. The artist, Michael Scwab, designed the
poster using a friend’s Tiger as the subject matter. Michael says he is a Tiger fanatic even
though he does not own one. TE/AE is mentioned a couple times in the article. As shown
in an earlier issue of the Rootes Review, TE/AE member Clark Vegazo has one of the
original banners that hung in the stations at both ends of the Autotrain route.
There is also a great article starting on page 72 about the Shelby Daytona Coupe, written by Pete Brock who was the original designer of the coupe. The article has a number of
original photographs depicting the progress n the body of the car. There will be a continuation of the article in a future issue of Classic Motorsports.
Tire tests
In the same issue of Classic Motorsports is an article about tire tests of top selling tires
that combine modern performance with traditional period looks. The tries were tested on a
1956 MG-A fitted with wire wheels. The tires were the Michelin XZX, the Firestone F560
and the Vredestein Sprint Classic.
The drivers did not know which tires they were testing when. Three tests were devised
— a 15 mile drive over various road surfaces, a clinical evaluation of each tire’s physical
attributes and an autocross session with SCCA National Champion Dan Shields driving.
The results were surprising in that the most expensive tire was the overall worst performer, the cheapest tire was second and the middle priced tire was first. None of the tires
tested were considered bad, but relative to each other it shows that spending the most isn’t
always the way to go.
Page 4
ROOTES REVIEW
Page 5
Rob Roy’s Garage
This is my personal collection of Tigers. I have personally rebuilt each one with the exception of the Forest Green MKll... It was a
garage find two blocks from the Houston Space Center two years ago...
Each car has a story. I would bore you to death trying to tell them. Suffice to say I was exposed to Tigers just before a trip to Viet
Nam in San Diego in 1966. Knew I had to own one someday. Life has been good to me and I acquired the white 66 MK1a in 1990.
Since then the cars seem to find me. I am a Senior TAC inspector (#54) with STOA.
Pictured are as follows:
1965 MK1 with racing numbers (car #182). Found in a cotton barn just outside of Lubbock, Texas.
1966 MK1a White car (#805). Found in a warehouse in Stillwater, Minnesota... My first Tiger
1967 MK1a Red car... (#2650) Found disassembled in a garage in Plano, Texas. Was disassembled 25 years earlier and never reassembled
1967 MKll ... (#241) Found in a garage in Houston, TX. Sat for 12 years after owner died and widow would not sell.
All are running/driving cars. White car is the most modified with a 289
and NOS. I use it at the strip from time to time. Otherwise the cars are
pretty much as Rootes had intended.
Not bragging but making sure that the Tiger community understands that
there are some very nice Tigers/Alpines in the middle/southwest USA.
Our club is known as Tigers of North Texas (TNT). I am the titular head.
There is about twenty Tiger/Alpine owners active in this area of the
country.
Best to you and TE/AE. Great publication. Proud to be a member.
Rob Roy
Racetig@hotmail.com
PS... Anyone passing through the Dallas/Fort Worth area is more than
welcome to visit/kibitz/drink a beer and talk cars.
That’s quite a collection of Tigers.
This is one garage that looks as good
as any museum we’ve ever seen. Ed.
Page 6
1953 Sunbeam Alpine MKI
If you like nostalgic, vintage automobiles, here is one that you may recall from the 1954 movie "To Catch a Thief"
staring Grace Kelly and Cary Grant. It's a 1953 Sunbeam Alpine
Mk 1 made by the Talbot Coach Company in England. This car
has a documented history from its previous owner of 50 years. Its
color is Robin's Egg Blue, boasts a robust 4-cyl engine and cruises
the highway at 60+ mph without any effort on new radial white
wall tires. Transmission is solid but detent springs are worn and
should be replaced. If you want a beautiful car that will make a
dramatic entrance into any car show this is the one for you. There
are not too many of these around. $20,000
Contact: Richard Fritz, Summerville, SC at:
fritzwich@gmail.com or (843)-695-8091
2003 Thunderbird
In 2002 Halle Berry drove the predecessor to these cars in the James
Bond "Die
Another Day" film. In 2003 Ford built 700 of which this is number
190. A one owner Orlando car with 3,450 +/- miles.
$30,000
Contact Steve Halbrook at: 813.681.5248
Page 7
Jon Hasbrouck’s garage
I am attaching a couple of views of my shop. It was built
after my wife and I moved into the old family home (third
generation) some 16 years ago. I built it specifically for
auto work. It is 20' x 24' in the shop area, with a yard machine, parts and supplies, and other storage on the left side
with parts and wood storage upstairs.
The shop was built with no post, utilizing a heavy beam
to facilitate a hoist and allow a clear work area. I ended up
utilizing a portable engine hoist which was a better decision
that a rail mounted hoist. The shop area is well insulated
with heated and cooled conditions, so year round work is
comfortable.
There are lots of high output light fixtures for old eyes. I
even managed to set up a ventilated "paint booth" when the
car was painted in the shop. Lots of effort but it worked.
The photos were taken without any staging, so the cobwebs, dirt and clutter is shown as it is every day. I do try to
keep clutter away from the car, hoping no nasty accidents
occur. There are lots of electrical outlets, including 220
single phase.
The floor is coated with a two stage epoxy (that really
works). My wood working tools are caster mounted so they
may be rolled into place when needed. This allows enough
work space for the car in an otherwise small shop area. The
shop has served me well as the Tiger is about ready for the
big coming out party in Maryland this fall - reservations
and registration done (United XXXII).
Notice the two four barrel carbs, the louvers, the
scoop and the roll bars in Jon’s Tiger. He has
made major suspension modifications as well.
Not your ordinary Tiger. Ed.
Hugh Guynes’ garage
Here is a picture taken in 2007.
The Miata has been replaced
with another Tiger project.
The Tiger pictured here is a
Mk1a with a fuel injected 363
cubic inch aluminum motor and
coil over front and rear suspensions.
The Cobra is an original 1965
289 car which I have owned 20+
years.
Page 8
MY 1960 HILLMAN MINX WITH EASIDRIVE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
By Ernie Clerihew
Hillman is a name not well known in the automotive field anymore. Hillmans are British and like most British manufacturers of
automobiles, the Hillman Motor Car Company is defunct. The last Hillman imported into this country was the Super Minx of the
mid -1960s. The company was still being run by Lord Rootes, a founder, at the time. The Hillman Motor Car Company began in
1907. Previous to that, the company had made sewing machines and bicycles. Hillman played a role in pioneering the American
automobile market, opening doors for other makes back in the days when those funny foreign cars drove a lonely road in this country.
(left) Louis Coatalen, William Hillman’s partner and
designer, at the wheel of the first Hillman car in
1907.
Hillman had been importing small sedans since before
World War II, but after the war, the small car market
became more competitive. To get a leg up in styling,
Lord Rootes hired the designer Raymond Lowey (think
Studebaker Hawk of 1953) in 1948 to design a new
car. Thus came about the shaping of my car, which takes
styling cues from the 1953 Studebaker and the 1955-56
Ford. To further compete in the American market,
Rootes sought a technical advantage as well. After all,
some American manufacturers were starting to build "compact" cars, bidding for sales with fresh new packages. Consider the Ford
Falcon or the Chevy Corvair. In 1960, Hillman was offering a product that no one else had-a fully automatic transmission that did
away with the power loss associated with ordinary automatic transmissions of the day. Acceleration of a Hillman does not suffer as a
result of the Easidrive option. This was important in 1960 because thousands of drivers in this country didn't want small cars because
of the bother of shifting gears manually. The Easidrive was a significant small car development in the days of oversized Detroit sedans and small, slow American cars optionally equipped with automatic transmissions.
I bought my car in 2002 from an antiques dealer in Wiscasset, Maine. It had been acquired by him as part of an elderly
man's estate. It had 40,000 miles on it then and I have taken
it 24,000 sort-of carefree miles since then. My initial test
drive of the car did not inspire confidence. Looking behind
the steering wheel I noticed it had....an automatic transmission? I had always feared foreign automatics of the postwar generation since they could be weird and prone to trouble. Oh well, the car did start right up and sounded solid
and quiet. The gear selector quadrant is minimalist in nature: D 2 N R in that order. There is no P position and I
assumed the handbrake was a dubious instrument as evidenced by the rock placed behind the rear wheel. The car
moved forward in D but would not shift into a higher gear. I
stopped and gave it another try. This time, at about 15mph,
I lifted my foot off the throttle and heard a distinct "clunk"
and then we were in 2nd gear. At about 27mph the car
shifted automatically into 3rd which felt like top gear. I could live with this. I came to a full stop and tried reverse. There was a slight
grinding of gears to be heard as I shifted the lever. What the hell kind of automatic was this???
Continued on page 9….
Page 9
The Rootes Review
Hillman, continued….
Thus begins the tale of what makes this car different. Here in layman's terms is the Easidrive story. Remember the science experiment back in elementary school in which iron filings placed on a piece of paper were arranged in lines of magnetic flux by a magnet
placed beneath the paper? If you can visualize that experiment, you have the basic idea of Easidrive. Easidrive uses a magnetic powder coupling in place of a friction clutch. The transmission itself is a regular sliding gear type 3 speed transmission. Imagine a drum
bolted to the flange on the rear of the crankshaft. Then, imagine a slightly smaller drum which fits inside the aforementioned drum
and is connected to the transmission input shaft. These drums are separated by a small air gap filled with an amount of iron powder. In neutral, as the crankshaft turns, this powder is thrown harmlessly by centrifugal force against the inside of the outer
(crankshaft) drum. Now surround these drums with a stationary magnetic coil mounted in the transmission's bell housing. When this
coil is energized, the iron powder organizes itself in columns of magnetic flux between the two drums, forming a solid coupling between the engine and transmission. The advantage to such a coupling is that there is little or no slippage. There is no hydraulic torque
converter to waste power, an important consideration in a 57 hp, 2375 lb. car such as the Hillman. This represented a design coup,
applying a fully automatic transmission to a 1500 cc car.
But the devil is in the details, of course. All this stuff under the floorboards is controlled by the troublemakers under the bonnet, or
hood as we Yanks would put it. This trouble includes: an electric gear selector switch, a governor which monitors road speed and
throttle position, a gearshift solenoid and a control unit (black box) which contains eight 2 way relays, a thermal switch and a rectifier. Maintaining this lot is no problem if you're an electrical engineer, which I am not. Fortunately for me and my Minx, my brother
is. All the above-mentioned electrical units are wired closed with lead seals from the factory. Even Hillman mechanics were not allowed to open them up and investigate what might be wrong inside. Units were tested and if found faulty, replaced. Even the experienced garage mechanic in the early 1960s had no idea what he was looking at when he got under the hood of an Easidrive Hillman
Minx. It was just another weird foreign car that nobody, including the dealers, wanted to deal with. This contributed greatly to Hillman's demise. As the Easidrive reputation spread, dozens of new Easidrive cars sat in dealers lots unsold for years.
My car has experienced burned relay points and a broken wire in the control unit as well as another broken wire in the governor. My
brother was able to decipher its woes from among the 96 symptoms and numerous wiring diagrams featured in the Easidrive repair
manual. We broke into the sealed units fearlessly and solved my Easidrive's problems. It wasn't easy. It took about 8 hours, but I've
been lucky. Most Easidrives were converted to normal Hillman 4 speed manual transmissions or simply scrapped. And that's a
shame because it is a nice car on the road or in town. I've driven without trouble to Ohio and back for 3 different "Hillmans on Holiday" car events, cruising at 65 mph with no trouble. I only know of one other Easidrive in the country, in Washington state, which is
still running. I doubt we'll ever meet car to car.
On the way
By Dick Keith
I thought I would send this to all — photo of my Tiger on its way to the St. Petersburg Yacht Club Vintage Motor Classic Auto
Show held November 10, 2013. It was nice to stop on Tampa Bay and smell the salt air and enjoy the view.
Two Tigers were in the auto show, this one mine and the beautiful Red Tiger of Nick Kintner. Both won trophies to the dismay of
many other British car owners.
Page 10
ROOTES REVIEW
Another Hillman Story
By John Gillis
I really enjoyed reading Ernie Clerihew's 1960 Hillman story. These cars are a bit different and not often seen. When I was a boy, a
couple from Montreal, bought the old farm across the river from us as a second home. A while later, Mr. Soden bought a car for his
wife to learn to drive. That car was a 1959 Hillman Minx convertible. It was an odd, but cute, little car like none I had ever seen
before. The plan was for her to drive the car around the farm practicing her driving skills. She practiced driving the Hillman mostly
on a road through a large meadow, not venturing onto roads. The previous owners of the farm, an old couple, had never owned a car
nor a tractor, only horses. So, it's likely that the farm's roads had never been driven on by anything else. I can still remember these
old folks going to town with their horse and wagon. This was around nineteen sixty. Looking back, it's no wonder that after a short
time of trying to learn to drive a standard shift Hillman around an old Vermont farm, that Mrs. Soden decided that she did not wish
to learn to drive after all. With no need for the Hillman, Mr. Soden decided to put it up for sale.
At that time, Dad had started looking for a car to drive to work so our mother would have the family wagon at home. The Minx Convertible became his car. It wasn't used as a family car since there was seating for five and there was nine of us kids. Dad would take
us for drives around the back roads, half of us at a time, with the top down. We had never ridden in a Hillman nor a convertible before then. It was a real treat. I loved that odd little car. This little black convertible with red interior and mirrors perched on it's front
fenders got curious looks wherever it went.
Dad's Hillman did not have the Easidrive transmission like Ernie's car, but an odd 4 speed manual column shift. That, it's centered
instrument panel, the very small pedals which were suspended from under the dash, along with the smell of leather, made it uniquely
different from any American car. A few years later, it developed
engine problems, so it went into storage in the barn. I think it
needed a timing gear. I would go to the barn often and take this
car for imaginary drives. I'd put the top down and get behind the
wheel. I'd insert the imaginary key. Push the clutch and shift to
neutral. Pull out the choke and start the engine, all the necessary
steps. Then off for the drive. I hoped that one day the Hillman
would be mine.
Unfortunately, it's wheels were stolen and when some boys who
were of driving age asked Dad to sell them the car, stating that
they wanted to fix it up, he gave it to them. I didn't say anything.
Later on, when Dad found out that I had wanted the Hillman, he
wished that he had kept it for me. As trivial as it may seem, it
upset him such that, for the rest of his life, he never got over
it. Over the years, I've bought various old cars that I wanted to
own. I wish that I had bought a 1959 Hillman like Dad's while
he was still alive. I think he would have enjoyed it.
In my entire life, I've only ever seen one other Hillman convertible. It was at the Stowe Car Show. I believe that it belonged to Ray
Unsworth. That Hillman, like Ernie's, had the small fins which were not present on the '59s like Dad's.
Garage Tour
This is the garage/shop of Bob and Jean Webb, located in Waverly, OH.
Here are photos of our shop where we work on our
Sunbeams. It holds one car and, as you can see, we
don’t have to go far for parts. Those are all Sunbeam parts. It has air conditioning for summer and
heat for winter.
We just finished building another Alpine in this
shop after the old guy in Dayton gave us back a
painted shell. The steel shelving with all those
boxes holds most of our latest project — a right
hand drive Harrington Le Mans.
Page 11
Tiger Rear Ends
By Alex Gabbard
Sunbeam Tiger rear axle assemblies were all Salisbury 4HA004. 4HA is cast into the center housing, lower left side looking from
the rear, with "S" in a box on the right side. The term "Salisbury" is confusing because it is used both as a type of torque transfer unit
and as a manufacturer’s name. The original Salisbury design patent originated in the US during the first decade of the 1900s, then
went into manufacture, then was bought by the gear making firm that continues to make Dana, Spicer, Hardy gear components today. The "Salisbury" type assembly is typical of GM vehicles as distinct from the "Banjo" type typical of Ford vehicles, such as the 9
-inch. The easiest way to tell the two types apart is that the banjo doesn't have a removable rear plate, the Salisbury does.
Regarding Tiger rear ends, Salisbury, the manufacturer in many locations worldwide, manufactured in England a vast variety of
gear transfer assemblies, 3HA, 4HA...7HA and others (such as the 4HS for front axles) in an enormous variety. The 4HA was fitted
to the Jag XK120 as early as March 1953 and subsequent Jags through the 4.2 E-Type, the Jensen Intercepter, Aston Martin DB4/6,
a host of BMC cars (6 and 8 cylinder Triumphs, MGs...) and many other cars in bewildering variations were made, meaning that
interchangeability is an advantage. The designation 4HA004 is specific to Tigers and came without limited slip or disc brakes, both
sorely needed in my opinion, and the single final drive ratio 2.88:1. At least six other ratios up to 4.27:1 were available as LAT options, among other aftermarket gear sets.
The 4HA was an improvement on the earlier 2HA, with bigger axle shaft diameters and bearings making a robust, nearly indestructible rear end with the same Dana Spicer 44 gear assemblies that Cobras ran, both 289 and 427. These were all well proven in
generations of military vehicle (initially Jeep and Rover) variants and many other automobiles, including Studebaker.
The cast-in numbers, such as 4HA082/9 or 4HA082/11 or 4HA004 describe what was built inside the case and for which buyer's
application. 4HA was the assembly type, the following numbers were the application so that warehouse personnel could look at the
cast-in number and know what buyer the assembly went to. So far as I have been able to determine, Rootes (004) was the only buyer
of the 4HA004 units, all of them for the Tiger Mk I through Mk II.
All Tiger rear ends are also stamped with large letters on the underside of the main housing, such as A67 253, meaning
A67=January 1967, the 253rd unit.
The Petri Garage
By Mark Petri
I am not much of a "fix-it" guy, I do general maintenance and a little minor work on the daily drivers and the collector cars in our
fleet.
When we were buying this house in 1986, the builder was open to some modifications — we traded the family room for a 3rd bay in
the garage. For many years, this was great — the Tiger happily occupied the 3rd bay along with our 2 regular cars. I bought a tent
garage for the trailer, as I couldn't stand to watch it rust and deteriorate outside in the elements.
In 2006, it was time for some more garage space. We proceeded to build a pole building in the back yard. I decided on a 2-wide x 2deep layout, with the goal of being able to line-up the Tiger on the trailer hooked to the tow vehicle inside the building for easy
morning departures to events. This has been a pretty good idea, as some of the pre-trip days have been bad weather — or dark. The
“Barn" as it is known, is 24' x 44' with a concrete slab floor. We finished the ceiling in order to have it insulated but the rest of the
interior is not finished. Thus my garage is for storage and protection much more than a working shop.
Since 2006, however, the
fleet has grown to include 3
more collector cars and 2
more daily drivers to accommodate our now adult kids.
The large door is great for
our E250 Van or the Expedition. I try not to leave any
vehicles outside. The arrangement of the vehicles is
somewhat fluid, depending
on usage and other factors.
Right now the trailer is in
the 3rd garage - with the
Tiger banner.
Dedicated to the preservation, restoration and enjoyment
of all Rootes Group vehicles
P.O. Box 1260
Kulpsville, PA 19443
Address Services Requested
TigersEastAlpinesEast@gmail.com
Website: TEAE.ORG