Restore an Austin Healey; Healey Restoration Tips, Austin Healey Sports Cars

How to Locate an Austin Healey for Restoration

Posted on October 4, 2010 by A3000

Knowing how to locate an Austin Healey for restoration is dependent on a few factors. This is from how much you are willing to spend, along with the degree of restoration you are willing to do. With a car like the Austin Healey that is 40 to 60 years old, the shape of what you will find will vary considerably.

Check out the video of a lucky barn find of an AH 3000.

Those who are looking to strip the car down to the bare basics and begin to rebuild will spend the least amount on the purchase of the car itself. The reason being there are many enthusiasts, like yourself, that have always wanted to restore an old Austin Healey. Unfortunately, not everyone completes this dream.

Many of the restorations begin and end with the stripping of the car down. This is where they sit for years. The reason varies with each owner. The lack of funds is one, but the biggest is the lack of time and energy that it would take to do the restoration job right.

Most of the stripped down cars are not being advertised because the owner hopes to someday return to this project. These are the hardest cars to locate, but it can be done with small ads advertising the desire to purchase an old Austin Healey in any condition.

One word of caution is that the old MG Midgets of the early ‘60s and the Austin Healey Sprites are nearly identical except for the badges, so know what you are purchasing.

There are many online resources that are also available to locate these old antique cars, but those are generally priced higher than the ones you come across that are just sitting and waiting to be restored. If you have the time and patience, the flea markets and coffee shops in rural America are still the best source of information for those that are willing to look.

The reason for this old fashion approach is because many of these cars are located in the American version of the bike shed or old barns. The Sprite was developed to be left in the bike shed until needed. For this reason, many were parked or are kept out in the barns. Like most things, out of sight, out of mind.

Most of the old farmers that purchased these inexpensive cars are not connected online, so that avenue of locating them is not possible. These owners still read their daily or weekly newspaper. Placing ads in small town America newspapers is the best way to locate these cars. These ads are becoming less expensive with the circulation dropping, so jump on this source before they disappear. The owners of these cars can be in their 60s to 80s, so some are not as computer literate as newer generations.

Soon the entire world will be digitized and everything that is available will be on the internet. Today, every conceivable part of an Austin Healey can be found online. But just how to locate an Austin Healey for restoration is not exclusively on the internet. An old fashion 50 cent cup of coffee might be the best source there is. In addition, you will be able to hear the great story about the car, from the owner, to boot.

Keep in mind that you should always keep checking this website as we have an open offer for anyone that has an Austin Healey in any condition for sale, or even AH spare parts for sale, to advertise them here on this site at no charge to the buyer or the seller. Help us spread the word by Tweeting or Friending and if you have a website please consider a backlink to this site.

More about Austin Healey Restorations

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Posted in Austin Healey Restoration | Tagged Austin Healey, locate, newspapers, restoration, small towns | 3 Comments

Austin Healey Sportscar Clubs

Posted on October 1, 2010 by A3000

The number of Austin Healey sportscar clubs are still numerous and fully active. This is because of the wonderful restoration job the owners have done to their classic Austin Healey automobiles.

The love Americans have for their cars is always shown on how well they take care of them and the rallies and clubs they form to display them. Today there are dozens of these classic car clubs in America. Compare this to the car’s country of origin where only 4 clubs are currently active in the UK.

The popularity of the Austin Healy and the restoration efforts on these 40 to 60 year old cars has taken hold around the world. The country with the second largest number of Austin Healey car clubs is Australia. There are also 2 in Canada, 2 in Germany, one in Japan, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, New Zealand, and Switzerland.

The AH clubs in America that cover the land from coast to coast are:

Austin Healey Club of America

Atlanta Austin Healey Club

Austin Healey Club of Oregon

Austin Healey Club of San Diego

Austin Healey Club of Southern California

Austin Healey Sports and Touring Club

Bluegrass Austin Healey Club,

Bonneville Austin Healey Club,

British Car Union,

British Motorcars of New England,

Capital Area Austin Healey Club,

Carolinas Austin Healey Club ,

Cascade Austin Healey Club,

Flatwater Austin Healey Club (Nebraska),

Golden Gate Austin Healey Club,

Gulf Coast Healey Club

Minnesota Austin Healey Club,

North Texas Austin Healey Club ,

Northern Indiana Austin Healey Club,

Oklahoma Austin Healey Owners’ Club,

Rocky Mountain Austin Healey Club ,

Smoky Mountain Austin Healey Club,

South East Michigan Austin Healey Club,

South Texas Austin Healey Club

St John’s (Florida) Austin Healey Club,

Tampa Bay Austin Healey Club,

Team Healey Texas

Triad Austin-Healey Club, NC

United British Sports Car Club (Sacramento)

Dream about Austin Healey Sportscar Clubs:

We have searched for and located all of these sites ourselves. If you have been to other AH websites and found that many of their links to AH clubs are no longer working, these all are correct and working websites at this time, October 1, 2010. If you should find any broken links in this site please contact us and we will fix them.

Each of these clubs has many members that all have the same thing in common, their love for this little fast British sports car. For those looking to restore their Austin Healey, these clubs are the greatest resource you will ever be able to find. The knowledge, history and enthusiasm are unsurpassed anywhere when it comes to the Austin Healey sports cars.

The only place in America not covered by an Austin Healey car club is Hawaii, but other than that there is a set of experts near you to assist you with your Austin Healey restoration project.

If we have missed any Austin Healey sportscar clubs, it was purely unintentional. If your club would like to be added to this list, please feel free to contact me with your information. Some clubs that formerly had websites are not able to be located at this time.

Here is a special offer to any clubs that do not have a website. It is important that you do have a website so that Austin Healey lovers in your area will find out about you. So here is the deal. I am a website designer and developer and a lover of the Healey marque.

As long as your club or organization is a non-profit group, I will build a custom designed website for your club at no charge for my design and labor. You will have to pay for the domain name and the annual hosting charge at the hosting company we specify, but I will donate a $1,500 value in the way of a custom design and initial content load for you. I will then train a person in your group for two hours and provide videos and tutorials on how to operate the site.

If you have ever built a website on any of the free hosting sites then you know by now that you are at the free host’s mercy and most all of those old type sites are gone now. By accepting my free offer you will own your own domain and website. Just use the contact tab for your free website.

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Posted in Austin Healey Sportscar Clubs | Tagged Austin Healey, Sportscar Clubs | 7 Comments

Austin Healey Restoration: This is why it is a Labor of Love

Posted on September 12, 2010 by A3000

The Austin Healey restoration projects that are looking for a powerful version of the car sometimes look past the Austin Healey 100 and the Austin Healey 100-six. This is because in 1959, the Austin Healey 3000 or Big Healey came into production. This was the year after the little economical version of the Austin Healey went into production that produced the bugeye, which was fun to drive, but a diversion from the power line that the 100’s had set.

There were 5 different versions of the 3000 made during its production run from 1959 to 1967. The BN7 Mark I and the BT7 Mark I was made from 1959 until 1961. The main difference between these two versions was that the BN7 was a 2 seater and the BT7 had 2 small seats in the rear just large enough to accommodate a pair of small children. The overall length of the car was also increased by 6 inches.

Many collectors feel the 3000 was just a continuation of the 100-six line of Austin Healey’s, but there were differences. The distinctive difference was that 2 more inches were added to the wheel base from 90 inches to 92 inches. This gave the car more stability in the corners and more room for the passengers.

Another difference was an increase in engine size up to the 2912 cc motor. In 1960, this first version was tested by Motor magazine where it obtained a top speed of 115 mph.

For those restoring one of these old gems, there were many standard features and options available. On all of them were Girling disc brakes on the front and drums on the rear. The options included wire wheels, an overdrive gearbox, laminated windshield, a heater, an adjustable steering column, two-tone paint and an easily detachable hard top were all available. There were 2,825 BN7 Mark I produced along with 10,825 BT7 Mark I during their production run.

In March of 1961, the new and improved Mark II 3000 was introduced. This is the only time there were 3 SU HS4 carburetors on the engine of an Austin Healey. It also had an improved cam that, when combined with the increased fuel, created a powerful engine that produced 132 bhp. Unfortunately, Motor magazine did not give a good review on this improved version claiming there was no improvement on the performance, so the fuel intake was reduced to two SU HS6 carburetors to make tuning the car easier. This was done in 1962.

The Mark II had two versions just like the Mark I did and one additional one. Still around were the BN7 2 seater, the BT7 2+2 or 4 seater and the new BJ7 2 seater. The BJ7 was the only one that was produced in 1963 and 1964. The main difference, to the delight of most car owners, was the new feature of roll up windows.

In 1964 came the more powerful Mark III BJ8 version. While the engine was the same size, it now produced 150 bhp and could obtain a top speed of 120 mph. This car was considered the best of all the Austin Healey’s ever made. It was produced from 1964 until the end of its run in 1967. This car had a redesigned dash made of walnut, a center console and leather seats were finally a factory option.

If you want to do an Austin Healey Restoration on the best of this breed, the 1964 to 1967 Mark III BJ8 is the choice for you. The video will show you why this is a labor of love.

To our readers, if you have AH cars or parts for sale, please contact us and we will advertise them here for you at no charge, if time and space allows.

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Posted in Austin Healey Restoration | Tagged 4 seater, Austin Healey 100-six, Austin Healey Restoration, BT7 2+2, Labor of Love, Mark II 3000, Mark III BJ8 | 3 Comments

Austin Healey 3000 Parts For Sale in Texas

Posted on September 10, 2010 by A3000

A list of Austin Healey 3000 Parts for sale in Texas by a private owner.

We offer it here as a free service to restorers and collectors. We do not charge a fee or a commission to either the buyer or the seller, however both parites should do their own due diligence to confirm price, availability and terms.

Everything is quite well described as to original part numbers, prices, condition rating, etc.

We wish you good fortune in your rebuild efforts. Do let us know how this works out for you. We also encourage anyone that is rebuilding an Austin Healey to contact us with your notes and photos and we will be pleased to publish your project as it progresses.

Note: the following is only a partial listing of just the item names. The full description, part numbers, condition and pricing are available by clicking the pdf file download link provided at the bottom of this article.

AUSTIN HEALEY 3000 PARTS:

OEM 1960 Austin Healey 3000 MK I BT7 (four-seater) (Dec. 1960) unless otherwise noted. Ship UPS. Occasionally USPS for smaller items and shipping outside U.S. due to prohibitively high cost UPS overseas. Detailed photos avail.

Dash (aluminum) Aftermarket part not avail. No dents All prices and ordering is in the pdf document which you may download free HERE:

Grab handle (assembly) 633-690, 633-695, 633-700 Good chrome
BJ8 door pull (inside handle) 803-440 BJ7&BJ8 (not BT7) Good chrome
Front fender L&R 858-100 shroud flanges in good shape
Front fender chrome flash, L&R 601-271 No dents
Hood hinge assemblies (hood to firewall) 805-535 Inc. both L&R
Striker pin assembly (for bonnet) VB#14-455, 456 etc. Very little wear on pin
Hood catch assembly & release rod VB#6-7010, 14-458, 459, 461 etc. complete
Brackets, shroud support for one car 805-355, 595, 295 590 etc. complete-F&R shrouds
Rear Shroud (1960) Aftermarket part not avail.
Doors (L&R) (1961) 856-205 etc. Can be restored
Outside door handles (L&R), chrome 021-726, Left handle rear part cracked
Interior Door Handle Assbly (set of 2, L&R) 803-900, 470-600etc. complete
Door latch 802-815, 825 no rust
Remote control unit (for door lever) 146 ea 1 Aftermarket not avail, no rust, work great
Escutcheon, door trim protection 805-180 No rust
Door finisher Set (3 pc. set) VB# 16-252, $75 for both doors (aluminum)
Door Hinge Aftermarket not avail
Plate Assembly, Sidecurtain 805-300 only have one
Wing nuts, Sidecurtain 5ea, 2 805-100 have four
Socket and Dome Nut, Sidecurtain Have four of them fits in door, front of sidecurtain
Aluminum cockpit surround rail (4 seater) 804-920, 930 etc Complete 5 pc. Set
Headlight receptacle assem. VB#0-690, 0-696 etc.
Rim, headlight (chrome finisher) VB#8-995
Tenax fasteners 387-055 have 15 on hand
Spacer, bracket (steering col.) 667-790 Triangular shape aluminum
Fresh Air Intake Ass. (complete w/cable) VB#2-4990, 6-985 etc
Air deflector Ass. Complete 806-330 etc. several components, top& bottom
Left front suspension assembly complete 031- 269, 386 etc.; 661-860,900, 920 etc,
Steering Idler 667-565 No rust, dents etc.
48 Spoke Wire Wheels, (1960), 6 wheels 454-610
Control Cable (Wire For trunk Lid) 807-035 complete with attaching screws
Tire Iron (1960) OEM
Spare tire retaining rod 221-665
Valve cover 852-100
Front bumper 854-260 No rust, need rechromed,
Front and rear bumper brackets 804-270, 804-300 etc.
Gas tank w/sending unit& filler pipe VB#FTK710
Fuel lines (Carb-Fuel Pump,Fuel pump-tank) Aftermarket not avail. Complete set tank to carb.
Master cylinders, brake and clutch 021-142 Have two identical (brake and clutch)
Slave Cylinder 513-316
Brake line union-4way VB#7-415
Rear license tail light VB#8-768
Distributor Aftermarket not avail, inc. speedometer drive
Starter 540-410 SN 25578A
Headlight dip switch VB#8-320 date stamp 10/61
Fuse Box, screw terminals 162-500 Date stamp 10/60
Starter Solenoid 546-150, SN: 4.S.
Voltage regulator (1958 100-6) VB#8-521 w/o plastic cap stamped 5/58
Brake and Clutch Pedal Box 58 1-487 etc. etc. Complete pedal box
Rear brake drum (ea.) Have four drums, no groves, rust etc.
Rear brake adjustors&cylinders, complete 582-940 etc. aftermkt not avail, Comp for one car
Rear leaf springs & associated pts. VB#5-572, 18-116,131 etc. Comp set for one car
Brake reservoir assembly complete VB#7-297 etc
Oil filter Purolator, complete OEM assembly
Differential (also called the rear axle) Complete Assembly
- TRANSMISSION Side Shift, Date Stamp 1960 Disassembled. Partial list below 4 sp. side shift,
Housing, Clutch (aluminum) Aftermarket not avail, includes clutch fork
Transmission Side cover (aluminum) Aftermarket not avail, includes attaching bolts
Case, gearbox (casting) Aftermarket not avail, no rust or dents
First&Sec. speed. Fork&Rod Very little wear
3^rd&4^th sp. fork&rod 031-257 inc. rod and associated parts
Reverse fork&rod
Laygear (planetary) inc. layshaft and spacer Minor wear reverse gear
Control lever and shaft Minor wear on selector bearing surface
First motion shaft&gears no wear
- OVERDRIVE SN22/3009/012078 Laycock De Normanville. Disassembled. Date Stamp 1/1960 Partial List Below:
Side shift OD adapter plate Adapts ODs to fit 1955-62 OD
Oil Pump Cam for OD 866-100
Pinon, speedometer Aftermarket not available
Rear Casinginc.annulus,clutch,sunwheel ass. complete rear casing
Ring Assembly inc. Spring St 866-430, 866-445
Brake Ring 866-480
Valve, operating (complete assembly) 866-060, 080, 090 etc.
Accumulator piston, housing, tube, spring 866- 320,330,680; 031-348 assembly
Front Casing complete, inc. Oil pump Includes oil pump 866-120,140 etc.
Piston Assemblies 866-400 etc. Includes two pistons
Oil Plug, strainer etc. and associated parts Not available aftermarket, similar to 866-210
ENGINE PARTS (partial list)
Engine Drain Tap (Valve) Same as above
Oil Pump Assembly, inc. spindle 021-364, 031-216, valve drain etc.
Pushrod 021-396
Tappet 021-365
Dipstick (oil) 021-914
Engine Mounting Plate (Front)
Engine Mounting Plate (Rear) 19 2
Thermostat Ass incWater Outlet Elbow OEM “ Western Thomson” thermostat
Engine Side Cover (front) (1 avail)
Engine Side Cover (middle) (2 avail)
Engine Side Cover (rear) (2 avail)
Flywheel Have two, gears good cond. bolts inc.
Rocker arm assembly Have two, moderate wear evident on both
Block 29 DRU/H/25294(11/60) inc. crank, rods etc, Never been rebuilt, 60,000 miles
Block (100-6) # ICH 29754 (7/58) For 1958 100-6
Camshaft Moderate wear
Cylinder head (1960) Moderate wear
Cylinder head (1958) Moderate wear

Download the original price list HERE:

Note from the editor of AustinHealeyRestoration.org. I recommend that you should contact the seller directly to confirm price and availability. This document as sent to me was very nicely columnarized, however in order to transfer it to this WordPress blog platform I had to modify the spacing some. I tried to be very careful to make sure the information is correct in my transcription, but I still want you to contact the seller before ordering.

Do check our About page and our Privacy Policy.

If anyone has AH cars or parts for sale let us know and we will advertise them here at no charge, if time and space allows.

=== *** ===

Please note also: We had the following article ready to be published tomorrow and decided to append it here just for your own edification and information on parts for a 3000. Enjoy!

Austin Healey 3000 parts

The Austin Healey 3000 parts are for the “Big Healey”. It is true that the last of the Sprite’s did receive a large engine that could have rivaled the 3000, but it came years later. The 3000 was the biggest and most luxurious Healey every built.

In the eight years this car was produced (1959 to 1967), there were 42,926 units that were manufactured. This was the only Austin Healey produced that was designated a 2+2 car or four seater. Its first 4 seater was designated the BT7 and there were 10,825 units of these car made. These were from the first version called the Mark I. The 4 seater was carried over to the Mark II version and designated the BT8. In both years, a 2 seater version was produced, but in lower numbers.

When it came time to make the Mark III or the BJ8, only the 2+2 models were produced. While the engine throughout the run of the 3000 basically stayed the same being a 2912cc block, there were some improvements. When looking for parts this is important. The Mark III models produced from 1963 onward had twin SU 2” HD8 carburetors, a new cam shaft, and valve springs.

The Mark II was first introduced, it had 3 SU HS4 carburetors. This version lasted from March of 1961 until January of 1962, when the arrangement was changed to only 2 SU HS6 units. The original 3000 Mark I only had 2 SU HS4 carburetors. This is the main contributor to the increase in horsepower as the model aged.

The lowest production car in the terms of units produced by Austin Healey was the Mark I BN7. There were only 2,825 cars made.

When you are looking for Austin Healey 3000 parts, the makeup of the different engines over the years is important information to have so during the restoration of your car it can be as close to original as possible.

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Posted in Austin Healey Parts | Tagged Austin Healey 3000 Parts For Sale in Texas, Big Healey, four seater | 10 Comments

The Austin Healey Mk3 in All Its Glory

Posted on September 9, 2010 by A3000

There were two Austin Healey Mk3 type cars in production in the 1960’s. The first one was the last in the series of Big Healey’s, the Austin Healey 3000 Mark III. This car was first produced in October of 1963 which lasted until the end of 1967. There were a total of 17,712 cars made during that time.

The engine that powered this little monster was a 2.912 liter or 177.7 cubic inches inline 6 that had a bore of 3.3 inches and a stroke of 3.5 inches. The top speed of this car was at or near 115 mph. This was the biggest and most luxurious of all the Austin Healey’s ever built.

This car was the backbone of the racing venture of this car brand. It ran at Le Mans, Sebring and Mount Panorama Circuit. In 1965 the Cooper Mini came into its own on the race track and all work and involvement with racing ended for all Austin Healey’s except for private contractors.

In 1964 a second Austin Healey Mark III was produced, but this was in the Sprite line of cars. This car was made from 1964 until 1966 and 25,905 cars were produced. This is the car that the MG Company practically copied and placed their name on it. The only difference between the Austin Healey Mark III Sprite and the Mark II MG Midget was some very minor trim and the main bearings in the engine were slightly larger for the Austin Healey version.

The engine that powered this car was a 1098 cc motor that had a stroke of 3.296 inches and could produce 56 bhp. The car could obtain a top speed of 85 mph.

If you are looking for an Austin Healey Mk3, you need to be more specific because there were two.

Video of a gorgeous 3000 Mark III restoration.

Note: if this does not make you catch your breath, better have someone call the mortician.

Daddy, will you buy me one of these?

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Posted in Austin Healey 3000 | Tagged 3000 Mark III, Big Healey’s, The Austin Healey Mk3 | Leave a comment

AustinHealeyRestoration.org

How to Locate an Austin Healey for Restoration

Austin Healey Sportscar Clubs

Dream about Austin Healey Sportscar Clubs:

Austin Healey Restoration: This is why it is a Labor of Love

Austin Healey 3000 Parts For Sale in Texas

Austin Healey 3000 parts

The Austin Healey Mk3 in All Its Glory

Video of a gorgeous 3000 Mark III restoration.

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