100 vs 100/6

[Fab60]

Hi guys , been longing to get into a 100 since I can remember. Having only seen and admiring the car by afar (never drove nor sat in one) I was wondering what are the characteristics of driving a 100 vs 100/6. What are the pros and cons of each automobile? Owners please chime to help me decide which model to go with......please lets keep this civil! :wink-new:

 

[Randy_Gay]

Apples and Oranges, IMO. The longer I'm in the Healey arena, the more the 4 cylinder comes forward. It was the purist version of the marque. That being said, any Healey is fun.

 

[steveg]

As the owner of a 100-6 a couple of thoughts:

--a lot cheaper than a 100
--non-Whitworth fasteners. If you're not concours, US nuts and bolts work fine.

Suggest you go for a BN6 two-seater as that would be the closest comparison to the pure sports-car appeal of the 100.

The early BN4 4-seater with the built-in manifold is the most down-on-power and the most inexpensive.

IMO now's a good time to buy as prices are soft all over.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

I have a 300 (BJ8) and a 100M. The BJ8 is a better touring car; i.e. more comfortable and stable for long cruises. The BN2 is more fun for short trips in the nearby countryside. The BJ8 feels more planted and solid, but the BN2 feels more like the true sports car that it is. If you're mostly a 'day tripper,' the 100 is the car to get, if you'd like to take longer cruises--I've done as many as 5,000 miles in 2 weeks--a 6-cyl is the way to go.

Of course, having one of each checks both boxes

 

[Jack T]

Another consideration is your size. Isn't the 100 shorter by about 3", in the doors and leg room?

 

[Rob Glasgow]

Not to change the subject, but speaking of room, I got a chance to sit in a friends Jaguar XK120. At 6'2", that is not a car I could ever consider even though its amazingly beautiful. The egress makes my BT7 feel like a 60's era Cadillac.

 

[roscoe]

I used to be 5' 8". No more. The older I get the easier it is to fit in my 100. It may be the only good thing about the process. Although, I also seem to have acqired something of a minor superpower. Sometimes a prescience lets me know when something I am doing might end up hurting me. It doesn't always save me.

 

[Joe Schlosser]

A friend of mine has a 100-4 BN1 for sale. Factory installed Lemans Package. Just finished resto on it. second owner

 

[glemon]

On the size thing, I fit in my 100 just fine, with the top down, with the top up my head would brush the top bows on a mild bump (I had the seat cushion shaved), don't know about the 100/6. That being said, if you are not buying it as a fair weather, top down vehicle, well, that is really where they are at their best.

The 100 is a magical car, various improvements and modernizations were made, but the 100 is first and best in my opinion, but very hard to find a nice driver for reasonable money.