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!

Diamond in the Rough

As I wait to sandblast the Austin Healey, I am using this time to learn more about my car and track down the various parts I need. To this end, I have joined a local Austin Healey club (Golden Gate Austin Healey Club) to get connected with other Austin Healey owners and experts. I took my family to our first Austin Healey club event back on August 24 in Vacaville. It was an ice cream social at a local Frosty Freeze. We met many other Austin Healey owners, and they were very welcoming and excited to have us a part of the club (even though we all came in a Honda Odyssey). Ironically, one of the Austin Healey owners lived only a couple miles from us.

Also, I have joined a nationwide Austin Healey club. My main purpose for joining this group was to utilize the club's online forum. There are questions I come across that I need an expert to answer. My first forum post proved to yield valuable information on my Austin Healey. I posted a picture of my dashboard:

It appeared as if the dashboard has been cut away or was missing a part. The car had been butchered in other areas that it wouldn't be surprising to learn they cut this too. However, all my internet searches on the dashboard were fruitless. All I could find was a one piece dashboard. I posed this question to the forum.

The forum administrator was quick to answer. He said that this dashboard had two pieces, and I was missing the instrument cluster panel, This panel would bolt on to the main dashboard. Only the first 800 Austin Healeys made had this feature before the dashboard was in manufactured as one piece. And, while this meant the car was rare, finding the instrument cluster panel would be extremely difficult (even more so than the windshield frame). Now the journey to find this part begins!