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1954 100 Project

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Christophe, Great find. I remember when I was a kid back in the 70's there was a neighbor up the street had a Healey with the Chevy 283. I don't ever remember it on the road though. There were a couple Healeys besides my fathers on the block. I remember seeing a BN1 with a Ford 302. It was black looked exactly like the one you pictured. That was a long time ago also. You should have fun with that one.
 
simon1966 said:
Wow, looks a lot worse than my shroud did. Quite the skilled job ahead.
Click to expand...
Fortunately, there is a very talented aluminum metal worker nearby in North Alabama. Once the superstructure is installed on the frame , I'll loosely install the panels and turn it over to him.
 
Would like to see harness when you get it in.
 
Well, looks like Martin already has the frame finished. He sent these photos last night. I ended up adding the rack and pinion as an option as well as some extra gussets. I'd say it looks pretty solid!














 
Martin Delivered the frame today! I have to say, it looks so much better now that I see it in person. I have a 67 Mustang and a 67 Corvette that need to be completed first, but once they are out of the way, I will turn my full attention to transferring the tub from the old frame to the new.





 
christophe said:
Martin Delivered the frame today! I have to say, it looks so much better now that I see it in person. I have a 67 Mustang and a 67 Corvette that need to be completed first, but once they are out of the way, I will turn my full attention to transferring the tub from the old frame to the new.
Click to expand...

That looks terrific! I would get it in primer before putting it aside so it doesn't rust, though.
 
It is coated with oil. I will continue to oil it every other week so it doesn't rust in my states miserable humidity. I want to leave it bare so that it will be easier to weld later on.
 
Thanks for the tip, Rick!

Here are a few pictures of the Rack and Pinion. I didn't really want to incur this extra expense, but the stock column appeared like it was going to be in the way of exhaust on the 2.3L ecoboost engine. Hopefully I can sell off the original steering components and recoup some of the cost.



 
The steering option is a must when doing this. I saw your frame Monday. I was impressed with Martin's work.
 
Very nice! I visited Martin's shop a couple of times while he was building my frame. Fun guy to visit with.

I've never used it but I have heard folks talk about weldable primer sealer. Seems like a better option than oil.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VJCxLwSf7U
 
Martin was very nice and he had some interesting stories. I tried to absorb as much info as possible during our short visit.
I've used weldable primer before and did not care for it too much, but that could be because I was using a 110 welder at the time.
Anyway, yesterday I pulled the engine and started making a few cuts with my saw zaw. I have a plasma cutter, but the cuts are too rough. Im sure I will need to use it at some point, but I am going to try to only use the sawzaw and grinder initially.





First Cuts


 
Well, I just couldn't help myself and spent another 4 hours today removing the front upper structure from the car.
Cut 3 and 4, then I cut the engine mount supports loose, and the rest I did not document as it was a cluster blur of cutting around the front outriggers and foot boxes.








 
While I do not doubt that the Jule replacement chassis is a sturdy unit, I can't help but make a comparison with the Australian Kilmartin chassis.
From the photos shown in this post, to me the Kilmartin product looks a lot more like the original John Thompson chassis. And the Kilmartin chassis has been proven to be a durable replacement. I think we are fortunate in Australia to have Greg & John Kilmatin supporting our love of Austin-Healeys.
 
I found a bit of time to remove the rear structure yesterday and today. The rear proved to be a lot more challenging than the front.











 
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