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!

Barn Find of a Lifetime

Recently, our family went down to one car, because, honestly, I don't ever need a second car. Most of the time I bike to work (sometimes I take the bus). At most, I need a second car only once a month. It didn't make much sense to have and insure a new car for such limited use.

A classic car would, ideally, be cheap to buy, maintain, and insure. Owning such a car would give me a car for those rare times I need it. My father-in-law George has restored countless cars and is truly a classic car enthusiast. Seemingly every time we talked, he had found a great deal on a classic car. I had mentioned in passing that I would love to own a classic car again. For years he was searching for the perfect car (and deal) for me.

In late June 2014, he came to me and said he may have found a Healey that has been sitting in a driveway for decades. I wanted George find the answers to two questions: 1) did he know for sure it was a "Big" Healey; and 2) was it for sale (in my price range)? The owner was a friend of his, and George found that the answer was "yes" to both questions. But before I committed to anything, I wanted evidence that it was a "Big" Healey (as I wasn't interested in anything else). George brought back pictures of the car from the owner's driveway as proof.

 From the pictures I was able to verify it was an early 1953-55 Austin Healey 100/4. The main giveaway was the shape of grill. Later Austin Healey grills were oval, while early Austin Healey grills took a much different shape (I don't know exactly describe it, other than it's a four-sided triangle). It was also obvious from the pictures that it needed a lot of work.

I know my fair share about cars, but I don't know very much about restoring them. My friends and I had an ill-fated attempt to restore a 1956 Chevy truck when we were 17 years old. I learned from that failed experiment that restoring classic cars takes time, money, and a lot of know-how. George had all the knowledge and know-how required to restore a car. Recently George brought a 1952 Ford wagon back from the dead. When he first brought it home, I thought the Ford wagon was hopeless with rust damage on every square inch of it. His finished project blew me away. For the record, the Austin Healey was in much better condition than the Ford wagon. I knew that if I were to take on this project that I couldn't do it without him.

George stated that if I wanted to buy it, I'd better act fast because the owner was looking to sell and the price he was asking was low. I talked it over with my saintly wife. We decided that we would buy it, thus beginning my journey as an Austin Healey owner once again. George loaded it on a flat bed truck and took it home. After decades, this Austin Healey had a new home.