Austin Healey 3000’s were the product of a joint venture between Donald Healey, who ran a design and engineering firm called the Healey Motor Corp., and the head of the Austin Division of the British Motor Corp., Leonard Lord. Leonard saw the 100-6 Donald built at a show and approached him about going into business to produce and sell the cars. When Austin Healey 3000’s had their last model leave the production line in 1967, it was because that was the end of the contract between the two.
My dad actually has a 1963 Austin Healey 3000 Mk II, but it’s not in presentable shape, and in fact, when and if my dad ever completes it, will probably be more of a resto-mod than total restoration. My dad bought the car decades ago in complete and running condition. It had some issues, and when my dad started to get into fixing it, he had to keep going deeper and deeper, finding more and more wrong with the vehicle as he worked his way through it. I remember being set to work on the trunk lid back when I was 14. Under the paint, it was all schmutzed over with body putty. That wasn’t the only panel that had been filled in rather than straightened out. I got the trunk lid done and started on one of the fenders, which ended up needing to have a rip welded. Of course, lots of the body parts of these cars are aluminum, which means you need a spool gun to get the welds done right. I didn’t have a spool gun, and for that matter, I didn’t learn how to weld until I was a freshman in college, so we had a body shop do that repair for us. Anyway, let’s look at what we’re here to see today.
And here’s the car we’re going to look at today. It’s from Ellingson Classic Cars in Rogers, MN, and it’s a 1962 Austin Healey Mark II BT7. The “ BT7” indicates that it’s a 2+2 seater instead of a 2 seater which would be designated as a “BN7”. You may be wondering what’s up with that Mark II business. It’s pretty simple, actually. There was the original 3000, which looked an awful lot like it’s predecessor, the 100-6. The Mk II’s were made from May of 1961-October of 1963, and when they were designated Mk II, that made the ones prior to it (1959-May of 1961) the Mk I. Mk III’s were the 3000’s made from 1963 until the end of the production run in 1967.
All of the 3000’s were powered by a 2.9L (actually 2,912 cc -so rare that they round down instead of up, right?) in-line 6 cylinder engine. The Mk I had 124 HP and 162 lb-ft of torque. The Mk II had 132 HP and 167 lb-ft of torque, and the Mk III had 148 HP and 165 lb-ft of torque. Most all of the engines had twin SU carburetors (I have SU’s on my MG -they’re not so hot, but not too hard to work on).
The 3000 we’re looking at today actually has a tri-carb set up. That’s right, 3 carburetors to help it breathe, and an improved cam shaft. That set up didn’t last too long though, because people complained about the extra maintenance required to keep 3 carbs in tune. This is kind of a rare 3000 due to how briefly the tri-carb production run lasted. It’s also part of why Ellingson Classic Cars can demand $59,950 for the beautifully restored 3000 they‘ve got in their show room.
In terms of power, these cars aren‘t much, especially compared to modern day vehicles. That HP rating doesn‘t sound like it‘s the worst, but keep in mind, that power is generated by a big, long, heavy, in-line 6 cylinder in the front end of this rather small car (they were referred to as “Big Healeys“, but trust me, they‘re not that big), which makes this vehicle rather nose heavy without really dishing out enough power to make up for it. If you look at the hood of the car, you can see it‘s rather small and narrow. That means that there isn‘t a whole lot that will fit in that compartment. The battery won‘t.. It‘s in the trunk (perhaps I should say, boot, since this is a British car). That‘s not unheard of though. In my MG, the batteries (plural, yes) are under the back seat.
There’s no arguing that these are beautiful cars. They’ve been in lots of movies. The Rum Diary with Johnny Depp had one, so did Father of the Bride, and there was a scene in Bullitt where you could see one parked along the street. My favorite movie featuring a 3000 is The Royal Tenenbaums, which is also my favorite Wes Anderson film. In that movie, Owen Wilson’s character, Eli Cash drives a white one, and later, crashes it. I’ve read that the crashed one was a replica, but the one that was shown uncrashed was a legitimate 1964 3000 Mk III.
Wait, did I say replica? Why, yes, I did. There’s a real demand for replica 3000s because an in-depth, body-off restoration of a 3000 is a bloody expensive nightmare. Here’s why: the inner body, floorboards and bulk heads are all welded to the chassis on a 3000. If you’re going to take it down to the nuts and bolts to properly work over an Austin Healey 3000, you’re looking at cutting these parts off and re-welding them -that’s after you’ve fixed whatever you need to on them, of course. This is an expensive pursuit, and it’s yet another reason why places like Ellingson can ask dang near $60,000 for one that’s been restored. Brand new, a Mk I would have cost just over $3,000, and by the time production ended, a Mk III would have cost right around $3,500 -I need to invent a time machine and go back and buy a bunch, don‘t you think?.
Say you do restore one. You’ve now got all that money and work invested in a beautiful car that handles ok for its age, but you’re still putt-putting around with less than 150 HP. Doing a resto-mod is going to hurt the value of the car, but if you don’t have the original engine, you might as well drop something more potent under the hood. Say that you like the look but want better performance though, that’s when you start looking at replicas.
There are 2 major makers of 3000 replicas. The best known is Sebring International UK. They have 4 different versions to choose from. The SX looks pretty much like a vintage 3000 minus the badges, which they won’t put on for fear of getting sued, but there’s nothing that can stop you from affixing the emblems once you’ve got one! The TMX, which has flared fenders, the MXR which also has flared fenders and no bumpers, and the “EXALT” which is kind of a modern looking interpretation of what a 3000 might look like if Austin Healey were making them today.
In the US, you have The Healey Factory in Florida which gives you 5 versions to choose from. The 3000 special ($42,500), which looks like a regular 3000 but has a Chevy 350 V8 with 265HP under its hood and an automatic transmission, the 3000 SL ($47,300), with a high output version of the Chevy 350 that gives you 300 HP along with an automatic transmission, the 3000 SSL ($49,500) with the same 300 HP Chevy 350 and a manual transmission, the 3000 SS ($56,400) with a 383 high output V8 that pumps out 370 HP, and lastly, the 3000SS/COMP ($58,600) with a 383 V8 that creates 425 HP.
I didn’t convert the prices for the Sebring replicas from pounds to American dollars, but I’m pretty sure they stack up about the same. These are all pretty expensive, especially for replicas. On the plus side, you get some horse power to match your money, but it comes at the price of authenticity. The bonus is that if you wreck one of these, you don’t have to fret that you’ve destroyed an irreplaceable vintage car, making one less of an already dwindling number in existence.
This stuff is expensive, but you get an eyeful for your dollars. I think if I want an Austin Healey 3000, I’m going to have to get to work on helping my dad fix his up and hope he lets me borrow it -hey, I‘ve already got the repair manual for the body work!). I don’t have the kind of money that a nice 3000 demands just sitting around to spend on a car that would leave me weeping and sobbing inconsolably in the grocery store parking lot if I ended up with a door ding in it.
To that end, I did some shopping around and here’s what I found aside from the gorgeous 3000 at Ellingson’s. Hemmings has some listed. You can get a 1961 that needs a TON of work, for just under $6,000. On the other hand, you can also find a completely restored 1962 Mk II 2 seater roadster with tri-carb engine for (cringe!) $90,000. A complete but not exactly shining example of a 1964 Mk III can be picked up for $23,500, and I found a completed auction listing that featured a 3 carb example in need of several grand worth of work and parts that sold for $21,000.
My ideal Austin Healey 3000 is probably not the super valuable completely restored version. Mine would be a resto-mod. I’d keep all the good looks of the outward appearance including the wire wheels with knock off hubs -so long as I kept a mallet in my trunk in case I ever get a flat. I’d replace that hulking in line 6 with something smaller and more potent to keep the car light and fast. I’d enhance the suspension and put disc brakes all around instead of just at the front. That’s what my dream 3000 would be.
No comments:
Post a Comment