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Matt Jennings's Ford V8 Powered 1967 Sunbeam Alpine

Matt Jennings · 1967 Sunbeam Alpine

Sunbeam Alpine

BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports carsBritish V8 Newsletter, Volume XV Issue 2, September 2007

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 1967 Sunbeam Alpine rebuilt as a Ford 347 V8 drag car

Matt Jennings converted his 1967 Sunbeam Alpine into a drag-focused V8 special, fitting a stroked Ford 302 and reinforcing the chassis with an NHRA-certified cage. The build is notable for pushing a small British roadster into low 10-second quarter mile territory while still being tuned.

Specs

As stated in the original write-up.

Engine
Ford 302 stroked to 347 cubic inches, Kaase Canted Valve aluminum heads, MSD ignition, Edelbrock Performer intake, 750 cfm Barry Grant carburetor, Crane cam
Cooling
Racemate water pump/alternator, Fluidyne aluminum radiator
Exhaust
Custom headers with 3 inch collectors
Transmission
C4 automatic, reverse valve body, manual shift, 3500 stall converter
Rear Axle
Ford 9 inch axle, 4.11:1 gears, limited slip differential, Strange axle shafts
Brakes
Front disc, rear drum
Front Suspension
Stock Alpine setup except Mustang rack and pinion
Rear Suspension
Stock springs and shocks, traction bars
Chassis Mods
Extensive frame reinforcement, full roll cage NHRA certified to 7.50 seconds
Wheels/Tires Front
Bogart SS drag wheels with Mickey Thompson ET Drag slicks
Wheels/Tires Rear
Weld Dragstar wheels with BF Goodrich Drag radials
Performance
About 500 hp, low 10 second quarter mile times, still tuning
Miles Driven
About 100, a quarter mile at a time

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 3

  • Ford 302 block stroked to 347 cubic inches

    Base engine for the build, stroked for increased displacement

  • Kaase Canted Valve aluminum headsKaase

    Fitted to the stroked 347 for improved airflow

  • Crane camshaftCrane

    Cam fitted as part of the engine build

Fuel & Ignition 3

  • MSD ignitionMSD

    Ignition system fitted to the V8

  • Edelbrock Performer intake manifoldEdelbrock

    Intake manifold fitted to the engine

    In the shops
    V-6 Intake Manifold ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $14.72 USD
    Intake Manifold, Mk VII ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $0.00 USD
    Intake Manifold, Mk VIII/Mk IX ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $0.00 USD
  • Barry Grant 750 cfm carburetorBarry Grant

    Carburetor feeding the engine

Cooling 2

Gearbox & Drivetrain 4

Suspension & Steering 2

Wheels & Tyres 4

  • Bogart SS drag wheelsBogart

    Front wheels fitted for drag racing

  • Mickey Thompson ET Drag slicksMickey Thompson

    Front drag slicks fitted for the strip

  • Weld Dragstar wheelsWeld

    Rear wheels fitted for drag racing

  • BF Goodrich Drag radialsBF Goodrich

    Rear drag radial tires fitted

Body & Trim 1

Other 1

  • Custom headers with 3 inch collectors

    Custom-built exhaust headers fitted to the engine

Photos

4 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.

Matt Jennings' Sunbeam Alpine Tiger-conversionPhoto: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Ford 302 stroked to 347. Kaase Canted Valve aluminum heads. MSD ignition.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Edelbrock performer intake, 750 Barry Grant carburetor. Crane cam.Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars
Donate Now!Photo: BritishV8: the site for enthusiasts of modified British sports cars

How it was done

Turning an Alpine into a drag car

Matt Jennings set out to transform his 1967 Sunbeam Alpine into a serious drag strip machine, moving well beyond a typical Tiger-style V8 conversion. The goal was strong quarter mile performance rather than a street cruiser, which shaped every mechanical choice that followed.

Building the engine

He built a Ford 302 stroked to 347 cubic inches, topped with Kaase Canted Valve aluminum heads and an Edelbrock Performer intake feeding a 750 cfm Barry Grant carburetor. A Crane cam and MSD ignition rounded out the combination, aimed at reliable high output.

Cooling and exhaust

To keep the stroked V8 cool under repeated runs, Jennings fitted a Racemate combination water pump and alternator along with a Fluidyne aluminum radiator. Spent gases exit through custom-built headers with 3 inch collectors.

Driveline for the strip

Power goes through a C4 automatic transmission fitted with a reverse valve body for manual shifting and a 3500 stall converter. A Ford 9 inch rear axle with 4.11:1 gears, a limited slip differential and Strange axle shafts was chosen to handle launches.

Chassis and safety

The Alpine's frame received extensive reinforcement to cope with the added power and repeated hard launches. A full roll cage was installed and certified by the NHRA to 7.50 second standards, allowing the car to run safely at the strip.

Suspension, brakes and wheels

Front suspension stayed largely stock apart from a Mustang rack and pinion swap, while the rear kept its stock springs and shocks with added traction bars. Brakes remained front disc and rear drum. Drag-specific wheels and tires were fitted front and rear for the strip.

Results so far

With only about 100 miles on the car, all of them a quarter mile at a time, the Alpine has already made roughly 500 horsepower and run low 10 second quarter miles. Jennings notes the tuning is still ongoing, and his main advice to others is to take your time.

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

  • Take your time with a build like this rather than rushing it.
  • A stroked, well-built small block can make around 500 hp reliably enough for repeated strip runs.
  • Reinforcing the chassis and adding a certified cage is necessary once power and speed increase.
  • Traction bars and a proper stall converter help manage hard launches on a vintage chassis.
  • Tuning such a combination is ongoing even after the car is running low 10s.

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