Thanks for the replies gentlemen.
Mike in NC is my new role model!!!
Incredible.
Well executed.
I am awestruck by your work.
Truly inspirational.
Thanks for sharing your craftsmanship with me.
My Alpine, though pretty rare, is no great gem that would be mourned over if a conversion was done. They can be easily found/bought for under $1,000. I got mine nearly 20 years ago for $500. I picked it up because it was a solid runner and I loved the styling. The series 1 & 2 have the big rear fins. Don't drive it too much, Seattle weather gets wet occasionally, and it's motor is tired. It's come down to the 'throw good money after bad' theory. The good/best part of the Alpine, IMHO, is the body styling. The bad is the drivetrain.
I'm after a streetable, and easily maintained by me, upgrde.
It has a not original 1792cc engine now, pumping out about 72HP. Holbay mods are $$$$, (the Alpina of Great Britain), and any engine upgrade to the existing would surely require tranny mods for the added hp. (The diff on a Sunbeam is very robust, though, and can easily handle the added torque).
I have seen the Ford v6 swaps, nice work done by many, but at the end of the day it will still have a ford capri engine in it, and i've no interest in stuffing a 260 or 289 in it. Tigers are great, but I think the work and cost involved with that transplant would not make fiscal sense, might as well buy the real thing at that point.
I do have a spare '02 drivetrain in the garage, I am familiar with them, have extra parts, 99% of the engine parts are easily obtained and reasonably priced, and I think it would create a nicely balanced performer, kind of a retro Z3. It's basically my labor & ingenuity versus a bank account draining transplant.
Thanks again for this, and any future input. There'll be many questions to come (mike in NC get ready!) if this happens.
I'll keep the board posted it I do travel this path. definitely a long/involved project so I'll need to free up the next 2 years of evenings and weekends first.
Thanks again!
-steve