Albatross 4 Seater Slipper Stern

[petrolhead]

I have just dusted down off my bookshelf a genuine Rootes Manual for all hunter range cars, covering 1500, 1725 and 1725 holbay motor. In the engine section it lists engine differences to standard 1725 units for holbay by item and the difference it has! very useful.

If I knew how to scan a page and attach it to the forum I would!

But differences include, head, valves, valve springs, spring cups on head, push rods may be different, rocker cover is ally, inlet/carbs, exhaust manifold, camshaft with different valve timing, pistons, flywheel, distributor with no vacuum advance and different curve for advance.

If you need any info/copies from the manual let me know.

[suicide jockey]

Hi there Petrolhead......... that is a fantastic offer and I am sure I will be pestering you for some 'bible pages'......!

I think I am close to confirming that the engine in the boat is the original 1598 introduced in 1961 for the Sunbeam Rapier and used by Albatross in the slipper sterns. It turns and is complete except for dynamo.

However I intend to build a tuned Holbay for some extra entertainment!!!!!!!! I have some parts already but finding a genuine engine is difficult...... there is little external difference.

I will be back to you when I locate an engine......... A standard Holbay knocks out 120 bhp, but I want MORE!



thanks again .....steve

[petrolhead]

according to this manual, I think a standard 1725 has an iron head and the holbay one is ally. The pistons etc are diffent inside but at least that is a start externally. Wish I had kept my holbay H120 Rapier! but hey, I say that with so many I have had and can't keep them all

[Alacrity]

The standard 1725 (twin barrel downdraft carb) definitely had an ali head. I had a 1965 Humber Sceptre 1725 for some years & had to replace said ali head after the gasket blew. Speedy Spares in Brighton (still there) had a pile of NOS one's in the late 70's that were so cheap it made more sense to change it rather than mess about with the old one - & that was when I was as poor as a church mouse so they must have been very cheap! My two pals who also had Sceptre's at the same time also replaced their ali heads. The 1500/1600 engine was the one with the iron lid as I understand it.

[Scandal]

Hi

My moonfleet has the 1592cc sunbeam alpine engine which also has an alloy head. I got spares from a chap called Hayter who runs an Alpine specialist business not far from Newbury. This engine dates from 1960 and produced 85bhp. I don't think the Holbay options appeared until later on with the 1725cc engine, however I exchanged my damaged and previously repaired cylinder head for a reconditioned one which was modified to the Holbay standard so it will run on unleaded petrol.

I'm no expert, but as I have no intention of dying in a small, old boat as it disintegrates upon the water, I feel that 120HP may be adequate power for your Albatross. Much more power and it may need to be re-classified as a low flying object (for a short period of time).

Al

[suicide jockey]

Ha Ha ....... I will have you know an Alpine is not small....... 18 ft ? ha ha!

The 1600 rootes from 1961 on had an alloy head but I believe the basic hunter 1725 engine used an iron head. And the basic Minx 1500, 1600 heads were iron. The performance versions ...... Sunbeam Rapier, Alpine and those in boats used twin carbs, alloy heads, sporty cams etc.

I have an 80 horsepower 1600 from a sunbeam rapier in this slipper, I reckon she will take a few more horses as the coventry climax gives the 2 seater. Poop Poop!

[petrolhead]

I think that is correct, in that the cooking hunter 1725 was an iron head. But its all very typically british motor industry. This hunter range manual gives tech details for 1725 heads in Ally for both single and twin carb PLUS Iron head details for 1725 and 1500 in high and low compression options....so thats 6 head types for hunters. That does not include all the other rootes cars with this lump in it...

I reckon 120hp in an light albatross will shunt a bit. The thought of those twin 40's spitting fire back through trumpets into a boat bilge is a little scary

[suicide jockey]

Hence my name................
SUICIDE JOCKEY

There is talk that someone is running a ford pinto in an Alpine Slipper Stern....... I don't know if that is true?

[Rapier]

Hate to be a killjoy, but there is a limit to the power you can put onboard - from what I hear too much will lift the stern out the water.

[Alacrity]

One of our members, who is probably the UK's foremost Albatross expert, fitted a Fiat Panda engine to a 2 seater - it went like stink, but as Rapier says he couldn't use it flat out as she lifted her stern out the water. Having said all that, this was a 2 seater and the engine was a small alloy job that was far lighter than the (mainly) iron jobbies we are talking about here. Something to bear in mind though.