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Wilfred Potter's Ford 302 V8 Powered 1954 Sunbeam-Talbot Alpine

Wilfred L. Potter · 1954 Sunbeam-Talbot Alpine MkIV convertible

BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports carsVolume XVIII Issue 1, December 2010

Read the full write-up at BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars ↗

Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars

A 1954 Sunbeam-Talbot Alpine rebuilt around a Ford 302 V8

Wilfred Potter and his son Jim stripped a badly rusted, crudely rebodied Alpine to bare metal and rebuilt it from a new frame up, fitting a fuel-injected 1991 Mustang 302 V8, AOD automatic, Mustang II front suspension, and a narrowed Ford 9" rear axle. The write-up is worth reading for its honest list of setbacks, from a crushed door to a ruined differential, alongside the full specification of a car finished in period-correct Alpine Mist Blue.

Specs

As stated in the original write-up.

Engine
1991 Ford 302 HO V8 with electronic fuel injection, from a Mustang
Cylinder heads
Stock HO cylinder heads
Camshaft/valvetrain
Ford Mustang HO camshaft, roller lifters, roller rocker arms
Intake
Polished and ceramic coated Ford HO EFI intake manifold, upper and lower
Ignition
Stock Ford TFI distributor, Ford Racing spark plug wires
Cooling
Aluminum FSR Chevy radiator turned on its side with Ford outlets, 16 inch electric fan
Exhaust
Custom four-into-one headers from a Speedway Motors kit, 3 inch stainless turn-outs, Speedway side pipes, all ceramic coated
Transmission
Ford AOD four-speed overdrive automatic with Mustang floor shifter, frame-mounted oil cooler, shortened driveshaft
Rear axle
Ford 9 inch narrowed, 3.08:1 with Traction-Lok differential
Front suspension
Fatman Mustang II based independent front suspension, Mustang power rack, adjustable polished aluminum coilovers
Rear suspension
New replacement 1960s Mustang leaf springs, eye in main leaf on centerline
Wheels
American Racing FWD 5.5 inch backspace polished aluminum rims
Tyres
235x50R16
Brakes (master)
Servo-assisted dual-circuit master cylinder mounted under the floor
Brakes (front)
GM Metric calipers with 11 inch Mustang II style rotors
Brakes (rear)
Ford Racing 11 inch disc brakes with parking brake drums inside the rotor hats
Interior
Speedway low-back bucket seats, over the shoulder seat belts, hardwood instrument and glove box inserts, 4-spoke wood steering wheel
Instruments
VDO Gold electronic gauge set with Hall effect speedometer sender and Ford electronic fuel level sender
Electrical
Painless wiring harness kit for Ford alternator and Ford EEC-IV ECU-48
Fuel system
16 gallon fuel cell, Ford Mustang in-tank high pressure fuel pump, Hagans fuel filter
Weight
2750 lbs
Completed
March 2010

Parts used

Parts named as used in the original write-up, grouped the way the Parts page groups them. Where one of the shops we index lists the same thing for this car, it is shown underneath with a link to the shop.

Engine 5

Fuel & Ignition 8

Cooling 2

Gearbox & Drivetrain 4

  • Ford AOD automatic overdrive transmissionFord

    Four-speed automatic fitted with a Mustang floor shifter and new fabricated mount

    In the shops
    Automatic Transmission, V-12 ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $0.00 USD
    DG250 Automatic Transmission ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $0.00 USD
    Automatic Transmission Filter ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $106.77 USD
  • Frame mounted transmission oil cooler

    Added to cool the AOD transmission

  • Shortened driveshaft

    Modified to suit the new drivetrain layout

  • Ford 9 inch narrowed rear axleFord

    Fitted with 3.08:1 gearing and Traction-Lok differential

Suspension & Steering 5

Brakes 4

Wheels & Tyres 2

Body & Trim 7

Interior 7

Electrical 3

  • Painless wiring harness kitPainless Performance

    Wired for the Ford alternator and Ford EEC-IV ECU-48 engine management

    In the shops
    Overdrive Wiring Harness ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $52.75 USD
    Main Wiring Harness (Vinyl) ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $663.25 USD
    Main Wiring Harness (Vinyl) ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $736.50 USD
  • VDO Gold electronic gauge setVDO

    Speedometer, oil pressure, coolant temperature, voltmeter and fuel gauge

  • Hall effect electronic speedometer sender

    Drives the VDO electronic speedometer

Other 3

Photos

40 pictures collected from the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.

Wilfred Potter's 1954 Sunbeam Alpine MkIV Engine ConversionPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Looks can be so deceiving. This is actually the before picture!Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
auto body rotisseriePhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Mustang II front suspensionPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
transmission, u-joint and driveshaftPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
1991 Mustang 302 V8 in a Sunbeam AlpinePhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Mustang II spindle and disk brakesPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
9 inch Traction-Lok rear endPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
The chemically-stripped 1954 Alpine body is reunited with the frame.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
New fabricated steel transmission/driveshaft tunnel.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Embossments will stiffen the new floor and help reduce noise.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Similar floorboards were installed in the trunk area.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
New power steering rack and pinion from Fatman Fabrications.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Transmission Tunnel OpeningPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
This is a Mazda color that matches the original Alpine Mist Blue.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
A flush-mounted fuel filler lid is part of the streamlining of this Alpine.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
A removable panel will facilitate fuel system service.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
A dual-circuit master cylinder and power brakes were initially installed.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Headers were built from a nifty Speedway Motors kit.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Headers come off... an entirely different induction system goes on.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
The throttle cable hookup, and also the throttle valve cable for the Ford AOD tranmission.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
The custom headers were ceramic coated by Esthetic Finishers in Piqua, Ohio.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
FSR Racing Products (of Memphis TN) provided the custom aluminum radiator.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Flex-drive (cable type) windshield wiper system from Specialty Power Windows in Forsyth, GA.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
The engine control module is located in the cabin. Wiring passes through a grommet under the wiper motor.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
The chrome sidepipes also came from Speedway Motors.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Brake pedal linkage.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Remote brake master cylinder and power brake booster.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Ford 11 inch disc brakePhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Ididit tilting steering columnPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
aftermarket speedometer in the original instrument panelPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
new Rosewood instrument panel with smaller speedometer holePhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
The engine ECU is tucked away into a compartment off the passenger-side footbox.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Close-up view of the engine control module.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars

How it was done

A rougher project than expected

Potter bought the Alpine knowing there was filler under the rockers, but once home the rust proved far worse than assumed. The existing V8 conversion had been crudely done, with traffic signs standing in for floor boards and inches of body putty hiding the damage.

Stripping to bare metal

Wilfred and his son Jim fully disassembled the car, finding it needed entirely new floors, trunk floor, door bottoms and firewall. The body was separated from the frame and sent out for chemical dip stripping while Wilfred reworked the frame itself.

New front and rear running gear

The stock front end was replaced with a Fatman Mustang II crossmember, tubular A-arms, coilovers, Mustang II spindles, 11 inch disc brakes and power rack and pinion, steered through an Ididit tilt column. A narrowed Ford 9 inch Traction-Lok rear axle went in on new early Mustang leaf springs, with a fabricated hoop shock mount to suit the underslung frame.

Fuel, brakes and mounts

A fuel cell, electric pump and braided stainless lines were installed, including a return line anticipating later fuel injection. A new AOD transmission mount was fabricated, and a power-boosted dual-circuit brake system with steel lines and residual valves was hung on the firewall.

Rebuilding the body

On return from the strippers, a recessed firewall and new floors, including the trunk, were fabricated from 16 gauge steel and welded in. The car was assembled with all new parts, then fully disassembled again for paint, which Sporty Car Garage applied in a Mazda colour matching the original Alpine Mist Blue.

Engine and induction changes

The 1991 Mustang 302 arrived with a carburettor and aftermarket intake, later swapped for the stock HO EFI intake and wiring, feeding off a mass airflow sensor in the wheel well. Custom headers were built twice from a Speedway Motors kit to clear the frame, then ceramic coated along with the intake and side pipes.

Interior and finishing touches

A new rosewood instrument panel was made to carry a modern speedometer, and Speedway low-back bucket seats were fitted after considering Mustang seats. Wiring, a flex-drive wiper system, VDO gauges and a glove-box mounted stereo completed the cabin before final reassembly.

On the road, with the odd mishap along the way

Setbacks included a crushed door from the lift, a dented fender from a dropped seat, ruined diff bearings from forgetting to fill it, and a swap from GM to Ford fuel level senders. Completed in March 2010, the car now drives well, handles like Potter's Sunbeam Tiger, and idles all day at 180 degrees thanks to the EFI.

A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is in the original write-up: read it at BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars ↗

Worth knowing

  • Plan brake master cylinder placement early, since EFI packaging can force a relocation and new pedal work.
  • Check tyre diameter clearance before finalizing wheel and tyre sizing to avoid rubbing.
  • Always fill a fresh differential with oil before driving it, or risk ruined bearings.
  • Match sending units and gauges to the same manufacturer, since a GM fuel sender did not suit the setup.
  • Use polyurethane body mounts rather than hard rubber ones for adequate stiffness.
  • Be prepared to fabricate headers more than once when working around a narrow original frame.

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Wilfred Potter's Ford 302 V8 Powered 1954 Sunbeam-Talbot Alpine | Restomod Life