Albatross Alpine number 2002 restoration

[Tatra Man]

Well I'm not sure whether this will be a true restoration or more of a rescue but here she is on her way to her new home earlier today.

[Rapier]

Rescue, or restoration, is a question of semantics; what's important is the scrappy man didn't get this one, unlike a Sprint Speciale I missed many years ago.

[sean-nós]

Best of luck with her I'm sure she will be stunning

[happyguts]

Nice one , a true rat if I ever saw one ....just get it on the water and enjoy ,
Is it staying pink as my wife likes it more than mine !

[Tatra Man]

Probably not stunning, certainly not pink but I totally agree with Rapier:- "what's important is the scrappy man didn't get this one".

[happyguts]

Now that would of been a crime

[Sham]

I'm so glad this one found a good home!

That damn Scrappy Man has already destroyed way too many of them...

Good luck with the restoration, keep us informed!

[Tatra Man]

Comparing 2002 and 2003 quite a few differences show up.

I was aware that 2000 was shorter than other 4-seater Alpines and I obviously know that 2003 is standard length and the side panels are continuous at the rear. Well 2002 is standard length but the side panels have a join near the back of the engine hatch.



There are other differences around the rudder and P-bracket area but what is original and what are later changes I haven't yet worked out. 2002 doesn't have the socket for the jack staff on the rudder hatch cover - was that an optional extra? The battery support is towards the back of the engine bay on 2002 but still on the right whereas I seem to remember that 2010 has it on the left (about as far back as 2002's). I haven't yet determined whether it's been moved but it's different at the top to that on 2003 which is mounted on the right near the front of the engine compartment. The blanked-off exhaust outlet in the transom is in exactly the same place as the one on 2003 but I'm unsure when the second one was constructed. The nuts are very rusty so it isn't recent but the strengthening rib nearby looks very amateurishly bent.

The only differences I've spotted so far further forward are that the ski/lifting pole is shorter below decks and held with less rivets on 2002, 2002 doesn't have the starting handle hole in the back seat but does have the ski hole in the back of the front seat which 2003 doesn't. (Which Continentals have the hole?) There are other holes in the back seat of 2002 but I haven't yet determined if they're original and, if so, what they were for.

It's looking like 2002 and 2003 are very much transitional models between 2000 (the prototype) and later production models.

[Tatra Man]

Had a look at the badly dented bow area today just to see if there was much filler covering even worse dents than the obvious ones and it appears to be pretty honest - just dents.

On 2003 I crawled inside the bow section flotation chamber and tried knocking them out. I made some impression on it but it was so difficult to get a decent swing in the cramped space. Has anyone got a recommended method of dealing with dented Albatross bows?

[haventaclue]

I don't know the distance from the bow to the cockpit,5'-6'? If you could make,get one made,a metal dolly. Steel bar with a V head on it and you should be able to get a good swing on it in the cockpit. You will need lunatic friend,to lie under the deck to steady and move it as required.Or do you know any panel beaters that might loan you some of their dollies. When I say dolly,I'm not talking about the Barbie type