On Sep 9, 5:36pm, peters@thor.li.Cubic.COM wrote:
> Subject: Looking for an Austin-Healey
> I am in the early stages of looking for an Austin-Healey, either 100-4,100-6,
> or 3000 series. I expect to invest a reasonable amount of effort in
> restoration but I do not want a complete basket case. Does anyone on the
> net have any ideas about which years and models are best and availability
> and prices on parts?
The 100/4's and the 3000's are more desireable than the 100/6's. WRT the 100/4,
the BN2 is preferred over the BN1 and you can expect to pay a premium for a true
100M, a 100/4 with the LeMans conversion kit installed either at the factory or
at the dealer. People have been known to take a regular 100/4 and add the "M"
bits and then try to pass the car off as a 100M. Be carefull. WRT to the 3000,
the Mk.III appears to be the most popular due to its appointments. The early
Mk.II doesn't have the creature comforts of the later models, but it has a
tri-carb intake system. It is rare, preferred in some circles and may command
a small premium. If I had to to it all over again, this is the one I'd go for.
The 100/6 is the least desireable and the BN4 with the 4-port head is at the
bottom of the heap. Many BN4s have had their heads replaced with the 6-port
head found on all later models. The 100/6, 3000 Mk.I and early Mk.II came in
two body styles, the 2+2 for small dogs, children and midgets and a 2-seater
similar in appearance to the 100/4. The 2-seaters are more rare than the
4-seaters. The rarest production model is the 2-seat tri-carb; ~255 cars left
the factory in this configuration.
>
> I have been driving a 1980 MGB on a daily basis for almost two years and have
> found parts available and reasonably priced. Does the same hold true
> for Healey's?
I have only owned Austin-Healeys and modern cars so I can't comment on parts
prices WRT to other LBCs. All I can say is that parts have been reasonably
available and priced to me. The availability of parts is much better now than
is was 10-15 years ago. There are some parts that aren't available new, so it
would help to know which parts are interchangable.
> I would welcome any other comments or advice on the subject.
My standard advice is to get some books about Big Healeys and do your homework.
That way you know what you are getting into, what to look out for and what to
expect. The first book you should get is Chris Harvey's "Healey:The Handsome
Brute". If you are concerned about originality, get "The Original Austin-
Healey" by someone-I-don't-remember-right-now. "The Austin-Healey Buyers
Guide" may also be helpful, but I heard people criticize the book has being
inacurate.
--
_____________________________________________________________________________
Robb Pryor VLSI Group,
Phone: (415)390-1230 Digital Sight and Sound Division,
E-mail: robbp@healey_haven.esd.sgi.com Silicon Graphics, Inc.
US Mail: 2011 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View, CA 94039
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