| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
shkeller55
USA
7 Posts |
 Posted - 25 Aug 2010 : 23:02:14
|
This is my first post on your forum. I've decided to catalog all the cars our family has owned over the years, and I used your site to determine that the Rapier my dad owned in the late 1950s and early '60s was a 1958 or '59 Series II. Attached are scans of some old snapshots for your viewing pleasure.
My dad bought the car used in the late '50s or in 1960 (the upside down "60" at the bottom of the B&W photos means they were taken in 1960) from a dealer in Greenville, South Carolina, USA. I was pretty young then so my memory is fuzzy, but I remember him saying the dealer told him there was something wrong with it so they sold it to him cheap. He brought it home and fixed it quickly, and it ran fine after that. It seems like he said the points were reversed; is that possible? He's passed away so I can't ask him about it now.
When my dad bought the car it was painted light blue with a white top and stripe (that's what color it was in the black and white pictures). After a couple of years he sold it to his parents, who took it home to Tucson, Arizona, where they had it repainted in the red color you see in the color photo. They kept it for several years, and eventually traded it in for a small Plymouth sedan in the late '60s. I haven't seen the car since.
I always thought it was a nice-looking car, and I still think that "Sunbeam Rapier" is one of the coolest car names I've ever heard.
Hope you all enjoy the photos.
Scott Keller
Lilburn, GA, USA |
Edited by - shkeller55 on 27 Aug 2010 06:19:45 |
|
|
shkeller55
USA
7 Posts |
|
|
1922
United Kingdom
549 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2010 : 23:43:19
|
Hi Scott,
Great pictures - I love the colour picture with the mountains in the background - that one would make a nice poster.
I could never get the picture links from flickr to work - I switched to photobucket. |
 |
|
|
shkeller55
USA
7 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2010 : 23:53:58
|
Aha, so it's not me, it's Flickr. Thanks, I'll look into Photobucket.
Those are the Santa Catalina Mountains, north of Tucson, Arizona. That picture was taken in my grandparents' front yard. Amazing view, huh?
Scott Keller
Lilburn, GA, USA |
|
|
|
Administrator
France
110 Posts |
|
|
shkeller55
USA
7 Posts |
Posted - 27 Aug 2010 : 06:17:24
|
Thanks for your help. It took me a while to wade through it, but I eventually got the photos to display in my original post. I do wonder though, how in the world anyone ever figured all that out with Flickr.
Scott Keller
Lilburn, GA, USA |
|
|
|
janmarine3
South Africa
286 Posts |
Posted - 27 Aug 2010 : 06:47:18
|
Hi Scott,
I agree with you, " Sunbeam Rapier " is the coolest name , actually to me the ser Rapiers are of the coolest cars that have ever been on the roads.My first car was a Hillman Minx, and one day a hot Sunbeam Rapier roared past me , and I wanted one, and now I got one, +- 40 years later !. It has a smell of it's own and it don't need a oil dipstick , just check the garage floor , no new drops, - no oil.I am sure you would like to get the red and white one back ? Nice photos - thanks. |
|
|
|
shkeller55
USA
7 Posts |
Posted - 27 Aug 2010 : 14:45:31
|
Yes, I'd like to get that Rapier back, and the Singer my dad restored, and his Fiat OSCA, and his 1930s Lincoln limousine, etc, etc. 
Scott Keller
Lilburn, GA, USA |
|
|
|
rapier3a
United Kingdom
6 Posts |
Posted - 22 Jul 2011 : 13:35:53
|
Hi Scott,
Must say I love your photos, used to have a series 2 rapier myself and now have a part restored series 3. Thought you might like to know that on the for sale section there have recently come up 4 rapiers in Oregon, which I reckon is about 1000miles away from you, not much in US terms! There is a series 2 hardtop which I wondered if it could be your dads car, I'm sure there are not that many rapiers in the US. Its red and white but colours are inverted to yours. You never know, maybe had another respray. Either way thought it might be of interest and I would draw your attention to them. Just look at cars for sale in the forum area.
All the best!
Rea |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
My dad's 1958-59 Series II
