1978 Chrysler Alpine has some love and attention after 20 years

[mouseflakes]

Ace - I love these. My pop had the Talbot that was still styled like the Chrysler (if you get what I mean). I liked the fascia with the long ventilation 'strip' across it.

[Negative Creep]

Yep that's the one,still going.

 

Had a good time working there in the 80's

 

 

I grew up just down the road from there, and walked past it to school every day. Think I went in there and asked nicely for a few brochures once, although I used to cut them up to make collages

[Asimo]

This is excellant!

What some folk can do in a garden with welder and grinder astonishes me. Respect.

 

I temped at Chrysler for a few weeks in 1975, and one day the new Alpine, in exactly that colour, was presented to the workforce, most of whom had never seen one. I was a bit surprised it was FWD but liked the shape, which has aged really well.

[STUNO]

Excellent thread, I will always remember the slight* tappety noise, one near me could be heard 1/2 a mile away !

[Jim Bergerac]

I temped at Chrysler for a few weeks in 1975, and one day the new Alpine, in exactly that colour, was presented to the workforce, most of whom had never seen one. I was a bit surprised it was FWD but liked the shape, which has aged really well.

 

 

Aye - They don't look like a car that came out in the mid-70s car to me. It could really pass for model new in the early eighties.

 

Anyway, have to say well done on your efforts so far Richieg. Glad to see one of these getting some love. This is a thread of win.

 

[robinmasters]

I think the other Chrysler Alpine is in the Folkestone area, if it's a handpainted blue one. I've seen photos of it, but sadly did not come across it when in Folkestone recently.

 

It's normally parked just round the corner from Larry Lamb's magical flying hotel. I'm sure stuboy posted it in his spotted thread. 

 

Those are not sick rimz, blud, and 'the stick' hasn't been near it. GR47.9.

[oman5]

superb! an original white bumper alpine with the rattler engine and the funky wheels. They all seemed to vanish  overnight in 1988.

[Sudsprint]

It's normally parked just round the corner from Larry Lamb's magical flying hotel. I'm sure stuboy posted it in his spotted thread. 

 

Those are not sick rimz, blud, and 'the stick' hasn't been near it. GR47.9.

As I remember it used to be parked near The Burlington Hotel just back from The Leas, but that was a few years ago and don't visit Folkestone so often. I had no idea they were so rare.

[holbeck]

Top work!

 

I owned an R plate 1500 S for a few months in the late 80's.

 

Main thing I remember was that the battery kept going flat, under investigation I found that the alternator bracket had broken into about a million pieces, meaning the belt was the only thing keeping it in place.

Luckily I was working in a factory where you could get anything welded at lunch time for a fiver.

[charlie2555]

How about coming and rescuing this one I saw in Greece last year next?! Great thread

 

[KruJoe]

Hey Richie, ace to see you back on here.

 

I reckon your mysterious helper is Steve(Cyanide) of FSO-cars-UK Ltd. That's his dainty* torso wedged under the front:

 

 

Keep up the good work you two!

[stilo_active]

Fantastic thread, have a bit of a soft spot for the Alpine.

[Vin]

This is great stuff. I love these big time...My Dad had a blue Alpine as a company car. He had the choice of Alpine, Marina saloon or Mk1 Cavalier. He chose the Alpine as it was a hatchback and he thought it would be more practical as a family car.

 

One of my earliest memories is him bringing it home at lunchtime to show my mum. I can remember the plastic all over the grey cheque seats. It was April 1979. I would of been 3 years old.

 

My dad eventually bought RVH 249T off the company and my mum used it. He got himself a Saab 99 EMS.

 

The Alpine died on Mother's day 1985 when an old dear in a Datsun drove out of  side street and into her path on National Avenue in Hull. It was a write off...

[lisbon_road]

Very impressed, though shocked at so few left.  I remember thinking the styling was very modern and clean when they came out - really good.

 

I do remember being a bit shocked in about '83 when going into a breakers yard and it had just filled up with them, all rotten floors and so on.  So well done for keeping one going.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Heres a couple for sale on Leboncoin:

 

http://www.leboncoin.fr/voitures/676797494.htm?ca=7_s

 

Looks nice, under 50,000 miles, 1200 quid

 

http://www.leboncoin.fr/voitures/651781380.htm?ca=7_s

 

Only 30k on this one, needs brightening up though and theres a chewed up doorskin, 500€

 

http://www.leboncoin.fr/voitures/675336408.htm?ca=7_s

 

Blimey what a beauty this one is!!!! 1200 quid again

 

 

http://www.leboncoin.fr/voitures/580348336.htm?ca=7_s

 

Trims are fairly inexcusable on this one, but I bet the interior is Opel Senator-rivalling in its sheer eye popping redness under those covers. 800 QUID

 

 

http://www.leboncoin.fr/voitures/667533991.htm?ca=7_s

 

Crap advert but this looks interesing for 650 quid

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Only just spotted this thread. What became of this French fancy?

[worldofceri]

Holy Chrysler Custard, Batman! I missed this last time round too. My dad had one exactly the same back in the day. Would love to see some up to date pics.

[Dirk Diggler]

The first car I ever drove was in 1988; it was a brown one of these that had had something dropped on a height on its roof; the local scrappy had cut it at the pillars and let me and his son rally it in the field by his house.

 

It's a funny thing to learn about scuttle shake at 9 years of age

[DodgeRover]

I have a really odd feeling I spotted a white one on a recovery truck in Caterham on Wednesday, got to say it looked rather mint, had I not been concentrating on trying to get home with 50% less cylinders working I would have stopped for a chat.

[Grey the Floydian Sergal]

Glad I've found the thread on your Chrysler Richie mate

[SierraMikeHotel]

Holy thread resurrection Batman!

 

Although I have seen news of this car since the thread was last updated. I'll see if I can find out where and how the car is now.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Holy thread resurrection Batman!

Although I have seen news of this car since the thread was last updated. I'll see if I can find out where and how the car is now.

I found this on Flickr. What a photo!

 

[SierraMikeHotel]

Current owner says it is currently in the garage having some pre MoT work done. Definitely alive and well

[bolognasal spray]

While it's bumped, I did get a Proustian rush of nostalgia seeing the OP's photos. A girlfriend's big brother had a Chrysler Alpine. She lived in Cambridge, I was in Stoke - so seeing each other was a bit tricky (I was 17 she was 16). But her brother was at uni in Notts, and I got a lift down w/ him as he was going home for xmas (this was ooh, '88-ish). I remember his main present that year was a new headlight (only the bulb had gone but he had to buy the whole damn thing iirc!). Also, the hatchback was held shut w/ a bungee cord. We set off down the A606 with The Chameleons on in the cassette player (his favourite band) and me feeling like I was on the most epic road trip of my life. Which I actually was, now that I think about it. ; - )

[lisbon_road]

Excellent work, very impressed.  (Everyone else has had a 'I remember' moment, so I will too.)

 

I was always impressed by the modern clean styling these had.  They did clatter a bit, and the trim seemed a bit cheap.

 

But suddenly, one day in about '82, the yards just filled up with them, rotten floors, sills and so on.  At a glance, they just weren't fixable without the sort of devotion which is being put into this one.  Imagine the yards filling up with 12-14 plate cars all rotten now. 

[Isaac Hunt]

Well done on the resto, these are a rare car these days.

 

Mate of mine, his Mum had a Solara in a similar colour and another mate had the Simca 1100, the one with the rattle engine or TADTS.

 

All part of our motoring history

[Dick Cheeseburger]

I'll bump this again. I spotted it on anti-social media a couple of days back. Looks a bit sad after all the work previously done. ?

 

 

Interestingly,  the same photographer papped this gallic honey as well, in a similar state of neglect. Wonder if its the same owner? 

 

[Skizzer]

??

Both look saveable, as long as something happens soon.

[sierraman]

Hopefully they’ll see the road this summer!

[Macscrooge]

My dad had a Alpine as a company car. It was a GLS in Kermit-the-frog green with a black vinyl roof and the 1442cc engine. It had all sorts of then unheard of toys, including electric front windows, headlamp wipers, velour seats and  - gasp - a radio-cassette player. I remember it being generally reliable, except for needing a replacement engine after about 18 months! Bloody noisy though.