100/6 vs 3000 driving experiences

[tdskip]

First of all-a sincere merry Christmas to everyone. I hope the holidays have been full of warmth and family.

My long-distance touring codriver and I are considering a big Healey for our next car. We are planning to enter a number of the 1000 mile events this spring and fall, these are fast road events where reliability is super important and the car has to be capable of hanging with much more exotic and high-speed touring cars (yeah, Ferrari stuff).

We are starting to narrow our choices down to a100/6 or later 3000. I know the cars got more weather protection and a always fitted top as they progressed through the years. Having some wind/weather protection on an event like this is obviously a plus, but these are generally sunny in moderate temperature events anyway.

I was hoping to get some coaching from you all on if these two would drive significantly differently or if they would have very similar driving dynamics with the wi d/weather protection mainly being the big difference.

Thanks!

 

[steveg]

If you're planning on the California Mille, it's limited to cars that could have run in the MM which last ran in 1957. Not sure about the Colorado Mille or others. You could maybe get by with a 100-6 with the 12 port head.

All the 6-cyl cars have similar suspension except for the Phase II BJ8. Udo Putzke's Bilstein shock kit makes them ride better.

If the events will let you use a late BJ8, suggest air conditioning it as well.

 

[tdskip]

Thanks for the response Steve. Age cut off is a good consideration.

Sounds like the tweaks are very similar for both?

 

[John Turney]

Yes, the age cutoff is a definite consideration. A 100-6 with the 12-port head and 4-wheel Dunlop disc brakes ran in the last (1957) MM. Forum member Dougie is also a proponent of the 100-6. I''ll let you know in a few months how air conditioning in a 100-6 works out.

 

[tdskip]

Hi John-hope you're having a good holiday season. Thank you for the response.

Now that this is been stated it seems like a fairly obvious consideration. The immediate event that we're looking at is 73 or older, but if I'm going to buy/build a car up for one of these events I might as will make sure it's eligible for all of them .

 

[Editor_Reid]

I'm curious about which events you're considering. Could you please list them?

Thanks.

 

[tdskip]

All of them!

(Copper State 1000 is likely first up)

 

[tdskip]

Car is body #730, that puts it late '57, yes?

 

[elrey]

You will need a four or five digit number to date the bn4's. The high compression six port engine was built starting in Oct of 57 when they changed from the gallery head [integral manifold] to the head with a separate one piece intake manifold. Between Chassis/Engine 48863 and 52602 the gallery engine was intermixed with the separate intake engine. The last 1957 was c/e 54285, the last car built at Longbridge. This info. is from Anderson and Moment's Austin Healey 100/100-6/3000 Restoration Guide. I hope it is of some help, happy hunting!

 

[tdskip]

Very helpful.

Did the engine block change the shade of green they used at that same cut over point?

Thanks!

 

[elrey]

The separate intake manifold engines [26D] installed at Longbridge were painted silver green but some [26D] engines painted the dark olive green used on Morris engines have been found in early Abingdon built cars. Cars were built concurrently at both locations between Nov. 57, and Dec.57, when production ceased at Longbridge and continued at Abingdon. Same info source as above.

 

[tdskip]

Thanks.

The engine in the car as of six port with the dark or nonmetallic green.


Here is what I have;

VIN: BN4L030660
Engine Code: 26D/U/H 53917

 

[elrey]

The vin [BN4] means occasional 4 seater. The [L] means left hand drive. The [O] means equipped with overdrive. The engine code [26D] means separate intake engine. The floor shift. The [H] high compression. Apparently there is also an [R] if the transmission was equipped with overdrive. Also.... in order to track production of BN4's at Abingdon a separate "Abingdon Allocation" number was assigned sequentially, running from 501 to 4741. this allocation number was shown on a stamped plate extending below the car number plate, secured with the same screws. [This may be the number 730 that you referred to earlier.]

 

[tdskip]

Thanks, new to Healey VIN and engine codes.

Engine code looks like in the range for '57?

How to read the numeric part of the VIN? I don't see how to match that up?

Sorry if I am being dense.

 

[elrey]

Dense you are not. The Healey folks leapt around with their number codes and it is kinda screwy. Perhaps they did it to keep the tax man at bay. Some times the engine code matched the chassis... some times it did not. Engine code and Morris engine color lead me to believe that this engine was an early Abdingdon installed engine. The chassis number is pre 58 and if the number 730 is on a plate below the vin then it stands to reason that it is an early Abingdon production auto. There are some registry sites here in the Austin Healey section where you might find neighboring autos from which to divine the placement of this car in question. The beauty of this forum lies in the fact that surely someone with greater knowledge will be along within a few days to set us straight. Perhaps the car is an earlier 57 chassis with a later 57 engine. With all the movement of location, parts, books and personnel any combo may have occurred.

 

[DerekJ]

The car has a replacement engine. BNL030660 is an early Longbridge car which would have had an integral manifold. The engine in the car is from BN4 53917 which had 6 port head and which fits in the short period when the engines were painted the Morris Green colour.

 

[elrey]

The cavalry has arrived! ... Aha! ... The old replacement engine trick! ... Thank you DerekJ. And perhaps due to the lack of an [R] in the engine code the engine donor car lacked overdrive. I wondered about that.

 

[tdskip]

The car has a replacement engine. BNL030660 is an early Longbridge car which would have had an integral manifold. The engine in the car is from BN4 53917 which had 6 port head and which fits in the short period when the engines were painted the Morris Green colour.

Good mornings, thanks both for the reply and your site (great resource).

As an early Longbridge car that means pre-1957 so I think I am good there.

How big of a deal is the replacement engine on values and eligibility? I use my cars so not overly concerned about getting dinged at a show by a judge but want to be eyes open about it. She is a moderate restoration so no way around it consuming a fair amount of money and would be keen on everyone's thoughts as to impact on value.

I doubt that the touring events I am planning on running will car about the replacement engine but now would be the time to ask about that too.

Should I start a new thread on body work questions or just keep going here?

Thanks for the help and coaching!

 

[tdskip]

Here is the worst of it. I am handy with a MIG so some panel replacement doesn't scare me, maybe it should!

IF the frame is OK can I just cut back to good metal and let these panels in?






Gaps look pretty good good to me - but what do I know;

 

[Bob_Spidell]

"IF the frame is OK can I just cut back to good metal and let these panels in?"

Yep. The only problem I can see is at the rear, near the rear spring shackles (the brackets that go up and support the rear shroud at the bottom of the boot opening). That rust could be pretty deep and those brackets are (somewhat) structural. Clean that area up real good and decide if there's enough good metal, or if you need to patch some in. The rear shroud is aluminum, and attached with rivets to the boot pan. It appears somebody went after the rivets with a chisel, but I think you can straighten it out. Side note, if you're looking for originality: the bottom lip, where the shroud is riveted to the boot pan, should be painted flat black with a brush; sometimes, that's not done on even 'concours grade' cars.

Gaps on the bonnet and boot lid look excellent, which sometimes isn't the case (those gaps on both my BJ8 and BN2 aren't nearly as good). The real test is the door gaps; sides and bottom (need photos :wink-new. When you fit the outer rockers be sure you have wings (fenders) and doors fitted before welding them up. Most of the original welds were spot- (rockers) or lap-welds; rosette welds are a good approximation for the spot welds. One of these will make the rosette welding a lot easier (and fun!):

https://tinyurl.com/yax9s6c6

The bottom of the sides of these cars should have a very slight, graceful, upward curve. Some repop rockers--well, any that aren't made by Kilmartin--have a straight bottom edge that looks just slightly 'off.' The rear wheel well opening has a wire bead, which the wing metal is wrapped around (again, AFAIK, only Kilmartin sells panels with that bead). A mistake that's often made with the dogleg repairs is to have the rear of the dogleg sticking out instead of following the curve. These look like 'spurs,' and you see that on some otherwise well-restored cars.