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Survey of Ruddspeed valve covers

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HealeyPassion

HealeyPassion

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I've been reading some old articles on Ken Rudd and Ruddspeed Austin Healey's and just wondering how many of those Ruddspeed valve covers are out there? If you have one, or know of one, please chime in.

Ruddspeed valve cover S50 50.jpg

Steve
 
HealeyPassion said:
I've been reading some old articles on Ken Rudd and Ruddspeed Austin Healey's and just wondering how many of those Ruddspeed valve covers are out there? If you have one, or know of one, please chime in.

View attachment 64701

Steve
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Steve -

Have you asked Steve Norton at Cape Int'll? He's marketing a lot of the reproduction Ruddspeed parts now. I saw one at the Beaulieu Autojumble swap meet a few years back. It was in rough condition and the ask on it was pretty high, I couldn't believe how heavy it was.
This was when I was sourcing vintage race parts for my '57, so "adding lightness" was top of mind. Here was my solution.

'57 Ruddspeed Race Motor.jpg
 
dougie said:
Steve -

Have you asked Steve Norton at Cape Int'll? He's marketing a lot of the reproduction Ruddspeed parts now.
Click to expand...

Interestingly, I have ... talked to Steve Norton ... he isn't making any Ruddspeed valve covers but he did know of one which he's going to check into. On his website, Cape International, he has a picture of one but it's on a customer's car (DP1729) that he built.

I have only seen one Ruddspeed valve cover in person, it was on Mick Nordquist's extensively modified BJ8 (the one pictured in my first post above). The car has since been sold to a gentleman in Canada. I've never seen one at all the Healey gatherings I've gone to. I'm sure there must be some out there, that's why I posted this "survey."

Doug, I like your Ruddspeed tag addition... nice touch.

Ken Rudd was an interest guy. He was a recognized hot shoe in the U.K. car community.

https://www.ruddspeed.com/

Steve
 
I bought a Ruddspeed kit with the valve cover back in 2005. Came with a certificate of authenticity signed by Ken Rudd and Peter Holdsworth. It was one of the first reproduction sets made.
 
johnea said:
I bought a Ruddspeed kit with the valve cover back in 2005. Came with a certificate of authenticity signed by Ken Rudd and Peter Holdsworth. It was one of the first reproduction sets made.
Click to expand...

That is very interesting! Do you still have it? Do you have pictures of it?

Thanks!
 
HealeyRick said:
Steve,

Don't know if you've seen this article: http://healey6.com/Technical/ruddspeed.pdf and then there's the most (in)famous Ruddspeed tuned Healey of them all owned by Great Train Robber Bruce Reynolds: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/2730444/Crime-doesnt-pay.html
Click to expand...

Rick, I ordered that magazine (Autosport March 18, 1960) last week that has the "The Ruddspeed Austin Healey 3000"... some vintage mag. place in UK. It should be showing up this week. I had not seen the other reference.
Thanks!
 
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Curiously, when I started this "survey" I hadn't seen a Ruddspeed valve cover in about 4 years... and that one is now in Canada. I've been looking for one for about 3 years... albeit not aggressively, but every month or so I'd get on any number of eBay sites (U.S., UK, and Australia) to see if one was for sale. Now, thanks to Steve Norton (Cape Int'l of UK) I have one in my possession... he didn't have one, but he knew of one. I understand only a few people of a certain age will get-it .. but to those of us that do, Ken Rudd was the Carroll Shelby of Austin Healey's. For me, it's a bit like finding a Micky Mantle first addition baseball card. So, I'm very happy to have this addition to my current build.

AH Ruddspeed S50 8 19 2020 3296 (2).jpg

Cheers,
Steve
 
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Okay Greg, of course you are right, Carroll Shelby drove for Donald ... he just wasn't the modifier of Healey's like Ken Rudd was... but then you knew that!! By the way, Ken Rudd did also race Healey's but he's best know for racing AC's.
 
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I knew if any one could help source that for you it was Steve Norton at Cape. He assisted me about 15-16 years ago when I was searching for Ruddspeed manifold for my vintage racer. I did the same research back then looking for period performance parts beyond what BMC or the Healey Works Dept had produced. I've developed my motor far beyond the Ruddspeed tune now, but retain the triple 2" SU HD8 manifold as it still performs wonderfully.
 
Trial fit of Ruddspeed valve cover on my AH EFI engine.

AH Ruddspeed on EFI engine S50 5770.jpg

Steve
 
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