moremonkey
Senior Member

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In 1976 I skipped school so my father and I could fly across the state to pick up this Healey. We drove it back and that trip cemented my abiding fondness for this little car. It has been in the family ever since. Seventeen years ago I assumed responsibility for care and feeding of the Healey and have done whatever the car needed to keep it looking good and running well.
It is a solid platform for full restoration or rolling restoration, neither of which I have time to complete. Although everything works, pretty much everything also needs to be rebuilt or restored or repainted – the car is nearly 70 years old.
I never drive the car in the rain, so I removed the convertible top. The tonneau keeps the inside safe and protected just fine. The leather seats (which were just redone in the 1980s) are supple and soft, and all the interior trim is present and in place. But it is all at least little tired. The wheels are true and balanced, but the tires are 16 years old. The frame and top are original and keep the elements out about as well as they ever did (not all that well). The original side curtains are in the trunk where they belong. There is a grumble in second gear that just started in the last 50 miles or so. Overdrive, horn, lights, signals, wipers, instruments all function well. The steering, suspension, and brakes are safe for road use but nothing an objective person would describe as tight. The engine was rebuilt in the 1980s, it starts every time and with enthusiasm. But the 1980s were four decades ago and the engine leaks a bit of oil. As does the transmission. And the differential. And the steering box. Not the radiator though…no leaks there.
There is no visible rust to be seen when driving down the road, although underneath there is rust evident in the trunk floor. The cabin floors are solid. The exhaust has less than 1,500 miles on its mellow stainless steel bits.
The car was painted (Jaguar Signal Red, I’ve been told) in the 1970s. If you like patina you will love the finish – it shines and it is a visceral, aesthetic experience to wax this car – but there is cracking and fading and chips as you would expect of a 40 year old paint job.
$38,000 Will entertain offers.
It is a solid platform for full restoration or rolling restoration, neither of which I have time to complete. Although everything works, pretty much everything also needs to be rebuilt or restored or repainted – the car is nearly 70 years old.
I never drive the car in the rain, so I removed the convertible top. The tonneau keeps the inside safe and protected just fine. The leather seats (which were just redone in the 1980s) are supple and soft, and all the interior trim is present and in place. But it is all at least little tired. The wheels are true and balanced, but the tires are 16 years old. The frame and top are original and keep the elements out about as well as they ever did (not all that well). The original side curtains are in the trunk where they belong. There is a grumble in second gear that just started in the last 50 miles or so. Overdrive, horn, lights, signals, wipers, instruments all function well. The steering, suspension, and brakes are safe for road use but nothing an objective person would describe as tight. The engine was rebuilt in the 1980s, it starts every time and with enthusiasm. But the 1980s were four decades ago and the engine leaks a bit of oil. As does the transmission. And the differential. And the steering box. Not the radiator though…no leaks there.
There is no visible rust to be seen when driving down the road, although underneath there is rust evident in the trunk floor. The cabin floors are solid. The exhaust has less than 1,500 miles on its mellow stainless steel bits.
The car was painted (Jaguar Signal Red, I’ve been told) in the 1970s. If you like patina you will love the finish – it shines and it is a visceral, aesthetic experience to wax this car – but there is cracking and fading and chips as you would expect of a 40 year old paint job.
$38,000 Will entertain offers.