Engine's Firing on All Cylinders

I agreed to purchase the Healey back in January; however, I didn’t have the time to pick her up until May. Fortunately, the owner was gracious enough to keep the Healey in his barn while I finished moving. Finally, in late May we loaded the Healey up onto a flatbed truck and took her to her new home.

Once the Healey was in our garage, we got to work right away to get her up and running again. We flushed the gas tank and radiator, changed the oil, etc. Once we put in a charged battery, we were ready to see if she’d start up. She didn’t. We took apart the electric system and found the point set, condenser, and rotor were worn out and needed to be replaced. We obtained the required parts from a local mechanic, and they did the trick! Here are the results:

The timing is still a little off and there's couple of leaks to fix (well, British cars always leak, but I just need to get it to the normal amount for a British car). The rumbling of the Healey engine is invigorating!

Next, we wanted to see if the Healey would shift in gear. However, the clutch did not engage when the clutch pedal was pushed down. After adjusting the connecting rod, the clutch engage perfectly! I started her up and drove her in first gear. The brakes needed to be redone, so I couldn’t go very far or very fast. 

My next step is to get all the brake parts (shoes, rebuild kits for the cylinders) and to detail the Healey from bumper to bumper. Stay tuned for more updates!

Another Barn Find

Several months have passed since my last update on my Healey project. My wife and I were busy selling our home and buying a new one. This process consumed all of my time and energy.

Much has happened with the Healey project since my last post. In the journey to track down parts for my Healey, an acquaintance, knew of someone looking to sell a complete 1955 Austin Healey BN1. The backstory was intriguing. He had purchased the Healey in the mid-90s and spent about a decade bringing her back to life. He had completed about 95 percent of the restoration when he was unable to continue with the project. From about 2005 to 2015, the unfinished Healey sat in his garage.

After several conversations with him over the phone, my friend, Travis, and I took the two hour drive to see the Healey in January. We found the Healey covered in barnyard dust. Parts of the car were scattered throughout the barn, but she was complete. 

I told the owner I was interested but needed to talk about it with my wife first (I do not adhere to the old adage that it is better to ask for forgiveness than permission). And, a few days removed from seeing the car, I agreed to purchase the Healey!

Purchasing my second Healey left me in a quandary, which Healey do I keep? I contemplated three viable options. First, I could put the second Healey back together and sell it, using the money to finish my first Healey. Second, I could use the second Healey as a parts car and sell what I didn’t use. Lastly, I could sell the first Healey and keep the second Healey.

I was heavily leaning towards option two, but after being persuaded by both my good friend Tim and my father-in-law, I chose option three. Ultimately, I went with this option because it got me to my overall goal in this venture quicker; namely, I wanted to own and drive an Austin Healey 100-4.

This means, of course, that I will be selling my first Healey. My goal is to just recoup the money I have invested. Now I just need to find a buyer. Though I am sad not to see the first Healey to the end, I am excited to know I will have a complete and beautiful Healey to work on and get back on the road!