Ned, I bought my BJ8 in 1984, and immediately started driving regularly on
trips of about 350 miles each way. I once drove it 900+ miles in one day,
from Pensacola, FL back to eastern NC. In all that time, and the total
80,000 miles until now, I have had the car strand me only twice: once when
the generator bearings failed (1984), and in 2002 when Michael Oritt and I
were running a rally and hit a pothole that ripped a front shock off its
tower (the structure had been cracked and repaired many years before). The
generator problem was probably my fault because I had installed a new fan
belt before leaving home, and got it too tight.
I did a rolling restoration,and the car was down for an extended period only
in 1999 for an engine rebuild. I drove from home up to Maryland in '02 and
joined the folks driving US 50 across the country to Lake Tahoe. That trip
was almost 10,000 miles roundtrip, and I didn't have so much as a flat tire.
Not that I haven't had problems occasionally on the road, but except as
mentioned above nothing that couldn't be fixed with the spares in my boot.
The experience with my BJ8 has been that it is as reliable as any other car,
and if something happens, a heck of a lot easier and cheaper to get it
rolling again. I drive it all the time, and I hardly ever have a problem.
Steve Byers
HBJ8L/36666
BJ8 Registry
Havelock,NC USA
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-healeys@autox.team.net
[mailto:owner-healeys@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Ned Smith
Sent: Sunday, March 05, 2006 8:20 AM
To: Austin-Healey List
Subject: Does Anybody's Healey Run Well All or Most of the Time
Most of the stories I hear about trips in Healeys run like this: "I was no
my way to XXX and the car broke down". Rarely do I see, "I drive it all the
time and I hardly ever have a problem." This is might be because breakdown
stories are more interesting than nothing happened stories.
So which is it?
A few days ago my engine stopped because the ignition condenser failed. In
all my years of driving, this has never happened to me before. Was this an
isolated incident or should I expect these odd occurrences on a regular
basis?
Your comments are appreciated,
Ned Smith
BJ8
near Chattanooga, TN
N34.98 W85.5
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