project beginning

[jmorgan456]

greetings to all.

I am new to the forum as you probably see from the side. I just bought a 1960 BT7. I am now starting to think about project management.

The bodywork and paint is being professionally done. I will be doing everything else. The frame has been stripped for soda blasting, so everything else will be coming to me in parts.

There will be entire subsystems with the mounting hardware attached as appropriate. The plan is a safe, reliable, driver. Concourse ain't for me.

I am looking for ideas:

1) are there books or internet resources that I have to read BEFORE I turn a nut or bolt?

2) are there manuals that I really need to have? I have the official BMC manual BTW. I hear there is a chilton's manual somewhere. I usually like to have two sets of directions. Usually one will be correct.

3) what upgrades should be done?

4)what order should the systems be done?

5) are there checklists available?

6) suppliers for parts? I am already on a first name basis with John and Jeremiah at Sports and Classics in Stamford. (Great guys) From what I can tell, there is pretty much nothing they won't have. That said - other sources are a good idea just in case.

I figure I will have all the pieces within the week. Now is the time to think about what I am doing rather than start and screw up.

Thanks in advance.

 

[stevebn2bj7]

Here is my advice on a few of your items.

First, join the Austin Healey Club of America (East Coast) or Austin Healey Club USA (West Coast)and support your local chapter.

Second get the concours guidelines published by the concours committee of the Austin Healey Club of AMerica. I know you are not interested in building it for concours competition but the knowledge available there is hard to find elsewhere. I would review that before disassembly as it may alter your plans or preparation.

Third, for a reliable driver, the only update I would say is a must would be converting to negative ground and replacing the generator with an alternator.

Fourth, as for parts suppliers, we all have our favorites and mine are Moss for quick delivery, there are also a few dealers who offer a discount on moss list. I also place a great amount of trust in AH Spares for the highest quality. They now have chrome trim in a premier finish that costs a bit more but well worth it. If you do not want to deal with them directly in England, then Healey Surgeons carry a lot of their parts.

Hope that helps

 

[TimK]

Check out TheyMightBeRacing.com The author of this site is doing a BT7 restoration and has a number of teaching videos and articles. Also British Car Specialists has a lot of unusual parts in their Rare and Hard to Find catalog. Healey Surgeons is a fine source also. Moss's catalog has a lot of exploded drawings. I just installed Karvel Carpet from Heritage and love it. Check out the posts on sound & heat insulation as upgrades for the interior. Utilize the Advanced Search to find older posts on subjects you need, then ask new questions when you don't find what you need. There are a lot of people on this forum just waiting to share their knowledge on specific questions.

Check out the posts on additional fusing. Check out Healey Marque for recent articles by Lin Rose in April and Roger Conte in June on upgrades they have done.

 

[JodyFKerr]

Hey Tim,

Thanks for the reference to my site!

And, If I ever get the Jensen-Healey done and Mum's "new" Spitfire roadworthy I'll get a proper chance to work on the BT7.

Oh, and I'd add Norman Nock's book to the reading list. I read it cover to cover and it was very educational (Not to mention, the guys at British Car Specialists are really nice, just be prepared to chat for a while if you call them.

There's also a ton of valuable stuff on John Sim's web site: https://www.healey6.com/. In particular, check out the technical page: https://www.healey6.com/technical.htm Towards the bottom he's got some greate AH project tracking templates.

Jody

 

[TimK]

Jody, it's nice to meet you on this site. I really was impressed with all the info you have on your site. My car (1960 BN7) was silver blue and in rough shape, superficially, but sound structurally like yours, but less body work was needed. I appreciate all the educational stuff you have on your site.

 

[jmorgan456]

thanks for the quick replies.

I looked at the sites - It looks a little like jody and I will be working in tandem.

Aside from the picture of Jody standing on top of a Porsche 944, (that is no way to treat zuffenhausen steel), it looks like a great site.

Strangely, I was looking at how you go about your restorations. I would have gone about it in exactly the opposite fashion. Work on the vital stuff first then the collateral stuff then the peripherals.

Since I am getting large components, I was planning on starting with the rear end, then the front end, then the hydraulics, the the driver train, fuel, electrics, brightwork, peripherals and lastly the interior and glass.

I will be receiving a body, basically done. I want to be able to move it around. Hence the suspensions first.

Then to give me necessary space, the hydraulics.

 

[jmorgan456]

I did join one of the clubs - the one that publishes Healey Marque. I just got my membership package over the weekend.

 

[TimK]

The good thing is the advice on this forum is free and you are free to do anything you want with your car. After awhile you get a good sense of what advice will work for you in your situation and when you have to use your own best judgement taking into account what you know that the advisors can't or don't know.

 

[BUNDYRUM]

Hello imorgan456, Welcome to the forum we are happy to have you here.

As far as another manual to work from I would get a Haynes manual rather than the Chilton one as I have found it to be more informative.

Don't forget all you have to do is ask a question, and yes you will get all kinds of answers.

The search area on this forum if you can work out how to use it is most helpful also.

Best Regards,

bundyrum.

 

[Keoke]

I did join one of the clubs - the one that publishes Healey Marque. I just got my membership package over the weekend.

OH! thank goodness you joined the right one. Otherwise there would have been great rain clouds formed on this forum and it might even have hailed! Additionally the way you plan to do your restoration is the best way to go.---Keoke- :laugh:

 

[JodyFKerr]

thanks for the quick replies.
Aside from the picture of Jody standing on top of a Porsche 944, (that is no way to treat zuffenhausen steel), it looks like a great site.

I was younger and a fair bit lighter then. If you think that was damaging, I should find the pictures of me "rallying" it in the sandy muck in Mexico. You'd shudder in horror.

Strangely, I was looking at how you go about your restorations. I would have gone about it in exactly the opposite fashion. Work on the vital stuff first then the collateral stuff then the peripherals.

It's a process I've developed over the years. Everyone wants to do the fun stuff first. And so, what happens to too many people is that the lesser assemblies languish and are never restored correctly. This ends up causing people much more grief down the road.

I've also taught friends and family members to restore cars this way. It allows people to be novices when they start and gradually gain mechanical skills as they go through the project. Then, by the time the serious stuff is ready to be done, they know how to handle the tools.

Finally, there's nothing more frustrating than finding a project where body/paint was done first, only to be scratched and damaged as the car sat in the garage. This way, paint is dead last before final reassembly.

As I said, It's my process and it works for me... anyone who has done this a number of times comes up with their methods that work for them.

Cheers!
Jody

 

[bighealeysource]

Hey imorgan,
Welcome to Healey ownership. I am sure it will provide you with many hours
of joy and just as many of "what in the h... is wrong here" or "how in the
h... am I supposed to get this thing apart/together,etc ?" Seriously
you'll have a ball with it all. As to suppliers, I have used Moss Motors
for many years ( Sports and Classics is actually a distributor of theirs - I
think). I would check AH Spares in England as both Moss and S & C get many
of their parts from them. I believe their website is: www.ahspares.co.uk.
If you are careful what you purchase from them - avoid real heavy stuff -
the fedex freight cost is not too bad. You can save a bunch on interior
kits, tops, chrome, brake parts. This is not an advertisement for them but
as you can tell, I have been pleased with their products and service. I have
also been very pleased with Moss so you have one on each side of the pond.
Good luck,
Mike

 

[jmorgan456]

thanks again for the replies.

Jody - if you were driving the Porsche - even off road - that is what they were meant for. Battle scars are inevitable - but it is a drivers' car unlike many other "collectibles."

For good or bad, the body work is underway.
I will not have the choice to do the paint last.

 

[JodyFKerr]

Oh, I'm sure the restoration will come out just fine.

I'll be very interested in keeping up with your progress as I'll be going down that particular road in the near future.

But for today, it's pulling the rear drums on a Studebaker..

Jody