New owner Rapier S4

Printed from: Sunbeam Rapier Owners Club
Topic URL: http://www.sunbeamrapier.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=527
Printed on: 08 Jan 2025

Topic:

Topic author: Tigermart
Subject: New owner Rapier S4
Posted on: 05 Aug 2011 15:32:10
Message:

Hi All,
I (Martin) am a new member of the SROC and new to the forum. I am a long standing Rootes fan and have owned a lot of their cars over the last 30 years. 2 x Avengers, 1 x Harrington, 1 x Alpine, 1 x Commer, 1 x Mk3 Sunbeam, 2 x Sunbeam Venezia and (my favourite) 8 x Sunbeam Tigers (still have a Mk2 Tiger). I always wanted a Rapier and last week I found I could not resist any longer. An advert was spotted on Thursday for a historic rally prepared S4 Rapier being sold on the Isle of Man. After a short discussion with the owner John Bateson I decided to fly over and take a look. The next day (friday)I was on a flight from Gatwick to IOM and arrived by 10.30 am. John collected me from the airport in the Rapier and I test drove it back to his house via some great IOM roads. The deal was done and cash handed over and the journey home began. At 3.00pm the ferry left on time with me and latest purchase aboard and arrived in Liverpool at 5.30. This is when I started to panic! Unknown car in an unknown town at peak Friday rush hour was not going to be easy. With the help of a map I managed to get myself to the outskirts of Liverpool and found the motorways south. Amazingly 5 hours and 2 stops later I arrived home in West Sussex with no problems. The car ran faultlessly the whole 260 miles and at 60-65 mph returned 28 to the gallon on overdrive. Not bad with a hot cam, holbay head, big valves and a weber. John had owned and campaigned the car for 18 years and I hope to continue using the car on historic rallies as well as regular road use. The bodywork has seen some hard times but that can all be repaired. GMT 847B (GMN 46T IOM reg)has FIA papers and a FIVA passport and has done 12 Monte Carlo winter Challenge events along with various other classic rallies like the Targa Rusticana, Yorkshire Classic, etc.etc. I hope to do the car justice during my ownership.

Replies:

Reply author: Hanley
Replied on: 05 Aug 2011 20:23:44
Message:

Hi Martin,

Sounds like an exciting purchase as well as an exciting car.

Would love to see some pictures when you have a chance.

All the best

Paul

XJ8, Beach Buggy, ZX9r, ZX6r, BSA Bantam D7 x2 , Gorilla Monkey Bike, Skyteam Monkey Bike , Honda 400/4.....and now I want a H120!

Reply author: janmarine3
Replied on: 06 Aug 2011 07:05:47
Message:

Hallo Martin and congrats.
Photo's please !
Just make sure it is a genuine Rapier - check on the floor under the crank pulley, if there are oil drops, it's the genuine article
Wow...Holbay stuff and all......

Reply author: Tigermart
Replied on: 06 Aug 2011 15:35:28
Message:

Thanks for the kind welcome. here's a couple of shots of the Rapier.
Took her to a sprint at Goodwood this morning and she ran very well.

Reply author: Tigermart
Replied on: 13 Aug 2011 20:38:45
Message:

Some pics taken today in the garage.

Reply author: janmarine3
Replied on: 13 Aug 2011 21:25:57
Message:

Cool ! How about a close up of the engine bay pse

Reply author: Tigermart
Replied on: 19 Aug 2011 21:07:48
Message:

The engine bay is a little scruffy but has all the typical rally stuff. Twin coils, lighting relays and spare bits tie wrapped around the engine for quick changing.

Reply author: janmarine3
Replied on: 20 Aug 2011 07:11:33
Message:

Looks good to me Martin- thanks .
Will look and perform even better with twin weber sidies ( me thinks ) .
Have you perhaps thought about twin webers and are there rules governing the performance mods in rallying ?
Jan.

Reply author: Tigermart
Replied on: 23 Aug 2011 11:58:16
Message:

Yes your right. I would love to put a pair of 40's or 45's on the car but not allowed on some rallies. However if someone has a spare set on a manifold I would be interested to hear from them.

Reply author: bigt80
Replied on: 29 Aug 2011 23:07:42
Message:

Car looks great. I take it that's a 28/36, which is what we used to use, but I know back in the 90's; Rapiers were running in a lot of Rallies - LeJog, Monte, Classic Marathon etc. with twin 40's, which even at that time was outside the rules I thought, but they seemed to get away with it. Whilst I'm an H120 owner, I don't think the slobbery 40's help that much, unless you've really done some head mods and your really need out and out performance. Less probs on maintenance too with a progressive twin-choke. Cheers. G.

Reply author: Tigermart
Replied on: 05 Sep 2011 19:38:20
Message:

Thanks G. The Rapier is running a Holbay gas flowed unleaded big valve head and a Holbay E128 camshaft at the moment. The 28/36 Weber will have to stay for any FIA event but I have just obtained a pair of Weber 40's on an Alpine manifold for the less strict events.

Sunbeam Rapier Owners Club : http://www.sunbeamrapier.co.uk/forum/