Austin Healy V8 for sale

[zoltrix77]

- Healey Factory

Interesting vehicle, like ad mentions, really does remind me of a 289 street cobra. Quite tough looking, but subtle at the same time.

Looks a little rough in person, perhaps with some money thrown at it. Driving position is a little wired, pedals are offset to the right and the wheel to the left!

Adam.

[MRGEORGE077]

Certainly not a 100M factory car.

[750hp]

...or for less money you could buy mine with a 289 and toploader

Unique Cars And Parts Classifieds

[dhs.buckley]

i saw the black one last week when i was on the way to hastings, interesting car, looks fairly tough. but the matt black paint is a little off putting.

[rcweingart]

Check this out:


Custom Austin Healey V-8 - Hot Rod Magazine

[HealeyRick]

If I could get $50,000 for mine, I'd drive it to Oz.






[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PGCoyvWUew[/ame]

[dallas_]

Rick,
Your car turned out really nice!

[HealeyRick]

Originally Posted by dallas_

Rick,
Your car turned out really nice!

Thanks, Dallas. Much appreciated. Zoltrix's comment about a 289 street Cobra was the idea I was going for ... like some Healey guy in 1965 was trying to "Cobraize" his Healey with a HiPo 289 swap. The motor's a 5.0 dressed as a 289 and the tranny's a T5Z. Except for some oversize tailpipe outlets and a 289 Cobra style shift lever, the car looks stock ... until I open the hood or turn the key. I'm grateful to the Cobra forums for the help in driveline decisions. I knew if it worked in a Cobra, it would work for me since the cars are so similar in weight.

[rcweingart]

Rick, I started out with a stock BJ-7 and there is nary a stock Healey component left other than three different Healey model bodies melded together. I went through the steps of using stock components but with every HP upgrade I had to replace with stronger and stronger components until it just reached the point that it was easier to start with a custom chrome moly frame, design my own suspension and brakes and go from there at which point I could use any body I wanted so I did what I wanted there as well. I want the front end of a 3000 because I converted the non functional hood scoop into a functional cold air box. I wanted the lay down windshield and rear shroud of the 100-4 but couldn't use the 100-4 door as they were 3" too short so I cut down 3000 roadster doors to fit the 100-4 cowl and rear shroud. The mechanicals were easy as well since everything was custom and I could do what I wanted including dry-sumping the engine which you just about have to do to get it to turn to 9 grand. I was a former experimental aerospace engine so designing and fabricating it all was easy. Full ground effects car subtly done so as not to make a caricature of the Healy lines. What looks like a chin scoop is actually a front down force wing and the car is a tunnel car because I didn't want to use a rear wind or spoiler. If you lie down and look under the rear of the car you can see the tunnels. BTW, I'm originally from Malden.

[HealeyRick]

Ron,

I've seen your car before and was truly impressed at its engineering and build quality. Nice to talk with you. My swap is pretty much the backyard version of all those 60s V8 Healey articles I saw in Hot Rod as an impressionable teenager. Yours is obviously at the other end of the scale. Uprating the motor in the Healey takes you on that inevitable journey to improve everything else in the car. Since I wanted to stay with the wire wheels and keep the rest of the car relatively stock, I tried not to overpower the car and don't dump the clutch in smoky burnouts. I really like your 100 windshield ... a nice touch. Since you're a Malden native, perhaps you recognized the road to Crane Beach in Ipswich in my video?

[rcweingart]

Hi Rick, I left Boston in 1959 and then Massachusetts in 1963 so it's been a long time to recognize particulars. I do remember downing steamers and cold beers in Ipswich before I left though. Yeah, the Healey was a 40 odd year work in progress. I originally put in a 283 Chevy back in the late 60s but I hopped up the engine and started pulling spokes out of the wire wheels so I had to put on rear wheel mags and the project kept escalating and escalating as my drive trains got more and more powerful. Having a lot of race/hot rod friends and access to fabrication and machine shops and the like I was able to do just about anything so, as I wrote, it got to the point that it was just easier to build a custom frame and go from there. I decided to just do about everything a hot rodder would want to do without regard for practicality. I had to detune the engine a bit for the street but it still puts out over 600 HP normally aspirated with a single carb. That said, I appreciate and like what you've done. You car is much more driver friendly and usable. I like the stock look and relative creature comforts of the BJ-7 (much prettier than the BJ-8 with the lower ride and old style dash). Good job and very nicely done! Best, Ron

[dallas_]

Originally Posted by rcweingart

Check this out:


Custom Austin Healey V-8 - Hot Rod Magazine

Dayum!

That is nice. Don't see cars like that everyday.

Well played sir!

[rcweingart]

Thanks. Glad you liked it.