Have some 'ard looking rapiers

[skamanfrank]

Just stumbled across these two photos, thought you'd all approve!





Not so keen on the second if I'm honest, but I love the look of the first! Makes me want to get on and then purchase some of those arches in the for sale section!
I think they're potentially awesome cars, but the arches and wheels just seem too puny for a relatively large car. Love the pillarlessness though!!


Getting there, not sure on the lo-pros though


Getting better! Still not quite there though...

[akku]

Ive seen that first one before somewhere. Feckin awesome.

[surprisingskoda]

They're all gorgeous. One of those 'would like to own for a while' cars.

[gotwood]

The first one is outstanding , there's something so right about banded steelies with the strengthening strips .... pure 70's wheel porn !

[Joe T]

Third one looks like it actually hit that tree!

[Seth]

I think the top one ran in the Super Saloons so may have come up in those threads before. I love the strengthened banded rim look

I think I took that third photo!

[arrocuda]

Dec 13, 2010 19:48:27 GMT Seth said:

I think the top one ran in the Super Saloons so may have come up in those threads before.

You are correct Seth.... Sowen posted the exact same picture on my build thread....
retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=readersrides&action=display&thread=68243 .....along with the following information.....


Sunbeam Rapier H120
Engine: 5700cc V8
Configuration: front engine, rear-wheel drive
Drivers: Martin Kent and Peter Taylor
Class: Special Saloons over 2500 and Super Saloons
Date taken: April 1976 at Chicane, Croft
Martin Kent rolled his Gordon Keeble in his first circuit race; the result was a totalled body but intact chassis. The unusual choice of a Sunbeam Rapier was dictated by it being dimensionally similar to the Gordon Keeble chassis. Said chassis was lightened by 112 pounds (51kg) and modified to suit the new de Dion rear suspension with 4 radius arms and Watts linkage. The 5.7 litre engine fed its power through an 11ins (28cms) Weber clutch to a 4-speed Muncie gearbox with a Chevrolet shifter. The photograph shows a later owner, Peter Taylor, driving the car some 6 years after it was built.

It says Rapier H120 but the body looks like a modified standard Rapier going by the radiator grille.

[skinnylew]

ooooooooofffffffffffff that first one is awesome, lot of love for that!!

[alolympic]

I owned a nice White one on some chrome deep dish steelies but it certainly didn't like look the top one, that is v.cool.
I agree with you about the size of the arches. Too small from the factory and makes the car look a bit slab sided. Nice cruisers with some nice details, a pretty damn good effort on a UK Plymouth Barracuda made from a Hunter estate.

[trigger]

That bottom grey one was at the NEC classic car show this year, It was stunning and the interior was fantasic, I took some photos but they didn't come out well so have this one instead.


1976 Sunbeam Rapier Fastback by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr


1976 Sunbeam Rapier Fastback by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr


1976 Sunbeam Rapier Fastback Interior by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

[xlr8r]

a more recent pic of mine, nearly ready for MoT ;D



& the facelift its gonna get, along with some X-pack capri front wings that i got off Mr Bruisercapri a few weeks ago



i agree with you about the proportions of them being all wrong, but the 1st 1 looks great with the wheel arches almost up to the window line.

[VWPowered]

class that spa, love it ;D

[wfb]

The fourth picture is my old car! I had it for about 5 years but had to sell it about 3 years ago due to extreme poverty at the time. Sold it to a mate who promised me first refusal if he was ever going to sell it, next thing I knew he had sold it on to a guy who lived near Oban. He only kept it a few weeks and sold it on. Lost track of at that point. Hope thats a recent photo and it still looks that good. It was a great car, I do miss it but you can't keep them all.

[kapri]

I ran a 1725 Auto Rapier as a daily for about 18 months ( lovely drive) before swapping it for a Mk 2 Golf Driver . Way back a mate used to have a Sunbeam Katana , 289ci powered Rapier fastback.

[stealthstylz]

The best Rapier i've ever seen is the blue one that was feature in Street Machine years ago. It had been made into a convertible, ran a Rover V8 and had 16" Mille Miglia rims iirc. Lovely car.

Matt

[xlr8r]

Dec 14, 2010 10:12:54 GMT kapri said:

I ran a 1725 Auto Rapier as a daily for about 18 months ( lovely drive) before swapping it for a Mk 2 Golf Driver . Way back a mate used to have a Sunbeam Katana , 289ci powered Rapier fastback.

i thought the 289ci Rapier was called an Allegro ?

see here >>> members.tripod.com/Sunbeam_Rapier/alleg.htm

how far way back did your mate have the 289 ? got any pics of it ?

[arrocuda]

Only Katana I know of was a bike and that was a SuZuki not a Sunbeam.

[kapri]

Yup, definitely a Katana ( play on the word Rapier as it's also a sword), he had it back in about '74 /5, when he sold it he went the whole hog and got the real thing ...a Barracuda.

Another mate still has his X reg Suzuki Katana he bought new .