Abandoned project; what's it worth?

[Nader]

Bob, I'll get a picture of the frame rail soon. It's not bad enough to keep the front wheels from pointing straight.

As for the clutch/flywheel issue, I've already tried running the starter with it in gear with the clutch pedal in, even dragged it a short ways in gear behind the wife's SUV with the clutch in. The squealing protest of the old skinny Bridgestones as they skidded down the driveway was the only peep they've made in over 30 years. So, no dice. Anyway, the hydraulics leading to the TO bearing are fresh. Pivot arm moved when clutch depressed, so the T/O bearing is mobile?

My issue with working on the clutch, etc., is that it's a big production to get the car off the lift and onto jackstands in my driveway. Have to play driveway Tetris to make space amongst the multiple vehicles out there. Then it's a race against the inevitable rain to get projects done while outside. Except for the summer, the weather here is mostly wet, so I can't leave a multiday project disassembled and outside, and I don't want to use up the precious few nice days of summer working on this car. That's why I'd farm out the heavy mechanicals. Most of the other stuff I can do within the confines of the little garage in the off-season.

That being said, is there an easily accessible port to the clutch/flywheel where I can spray in some penetrating oil to help break the two apart?

 

[Nader]

First picture is for a frame of reference regarding the tight quarters in the garage. Sorry it's sideways. Next couple are of the bend in the right front frame rail which is just behind the front crossmember.

 

[HealeyRick]

I think the only access is through the clutch fork opening. I wouldn't want to be spraying penetrating oil in there, though. What is supposed to work though (and what do you have to lose at this point) is to discharge a CO2 fire extinguisher into the bellhousing. It make sense when you think about it. It will freeze everything up, causing it to shrink and break the bonds. A lot of the home extinguishers come with a hose that you could probably snake into the clutch fork housing. Sounds like a fun way to kill a Sunday afternoon and you can use the extinguisher to chill the beer, too.

 

[Randy Forbes]

I've always had the best luck freeing stuck clutches with a running engine, the rear wheels spinning freely above the ground with jackstands under the axle.

Running the speed up "a ways" (40 - 60 mph/top gear) holding the clutch in and abruptly slamming on the brakes, while keeping your foot on the accelerator.

Most often, only a single attempt, but certainly within 2 or 3 tries, the clutch and flywheel will separate. You definitely want to have wheels/tires mounted for this, as the more inertia, seems the better.

I have never removed a transmission to free a stuck clutch. That's not to say that a badly deteriorated clutch wouldn't need replacement soon after, but a diagnosis could be made with the equipment fully functioning.

 

[HealeyRick]

First picture is for a frame of reference regarding the tight quarters in the garage. Sorry it's sideways. Next couple are of the bend in the right front frame rail which is just behind the front crossmember.

If this were my car and before I did anything else, I would want to find out if the frame is repairable. Marty Jansen of Jule Enterprises is on this forum under "Frameman" He manufactures new Healey chassis and could probably tell you what's up by looking at the pics. Here's his website: https://www.jule-enterprises.com/ Worst case is he tells you you need a new frame, but at least you'll have a better idea of the economics of the whole thing.

 

[healeyblue]

I have freed two different stuck clutches similar to the way Randy says, only I did it on the ground with plenty of running room to start the car in gear, then allow it to lurch forward in gear and slam the brakes with the clutch pedal down. The engine will kill, but when you restart it, it will have freed the clutch.

 

[57_BN4]

Nader- looks like you have more of a workshop space problem than anything. I had the same issue in that I could do all the small item jobs like refurbishing the mechanicals and fitting the new chassis ok in the garage but when it came to panel fitup and painting there just wasn't enough room so I rented a storage/workshop for two months over summer to complete the work. It was actually very good motivation to get on with the job since there is no point paying rental to have the car sitting there doing nothing and I am 100% sure that I'd never have completed it in my own garage. They didn't allow spray painting at the rental so I built a spraybooth out of framing timber and polythene sheet and used a large radiator fan, some duvet liner and ceiling vent hose as the filter/extraction system which worked spot on.

Even though it's 'just' a BN4, they are still a fine looking car.

Andy.

 

[HealeyRick]

Even though it's 'just' a BN4, they are still a fine looking car.

Andy.

Sometimes we outsmart ourselves by thinking we know too much about Healeys. We can all recite the ones that are really "valuable" and dismiss the ones that aren't "special". Truth is, they are all pretty **** special and lots of folks would give their left Whitworth nut to own one, even the most "undesirable" of them all. Even if you don't own a 100S, 100M, center shift tri-carb BN7 or Golden Beige Metallic BJ8, a Healey is still a pretty handsome car. I don't think there's a car wearing the Healey badge not worth saving. Sometimes it's not about the money but about the experience. Very nice photo, Andy. Well done!

 

[TimK]

Nader- looks like you have more of a workshop space problem than anything. I had the same issue in that I could do all the small item jobs like refurbishing the mechanicals and fitting the new chassis ok in the garage but when it came to panel fitup and painting there just wasn't enough room so I rented a storage/workshop for two months over summer to complete the work. It was actually very good motivation to get on with the job since there is no point paying rental to have the car sitting there doing nothing and I am 100% sure that I'd never have completed it in my own garage. They didn't allow spray painting at the rental so I built a spraybooth out of framing timber and polythene sheet and used a large radiator fan, some duvet liner and ceiling vent hose as the filter/extraction system which worked spot on.

Even though it's 'just' a BN4, they are still a fine looking car.

Andy.

Congratulations, Andy. It's great to see yours and I really admire all you've done to do it yourself.

 

[Randy Forbes]

Nice job Andy, I guess I didn't realize you were done; I mean, it seems like you were just here and we were "talking" about it.

 

[Nader]

Yeah, that's a beauty. I'm new around here, was that a restoration done by yourself? Do you have a pre-restoration "before" picture (for inspiration)?

 

[57_BN4]

Thank you Rick, Tim and Randy. I don't want to steal Nader's thread too much other than to say that restoring a Healey is very rewarding despite being by far the least cost-effective/sensible option.

I bought a project that the PO had started in 1996 and had subsequently found the amount of work required was beyond his capabilities. After some ten years of having a shed full of car parts he had major knee surgery and decided it just wasn't going to happen.

Apart from the welding in of repair panels to the doors, boot and fenders plus some patching of the shrouds I did all the work myself. There is a point in every project where the desire, timeframe and skill level don't coincide and that is the time to take it to a professional. Although from a distance the car looks finished, I have still a full stripdown to do once I am happy with the door gaps and a host of other little things that annoy me. The chassis is still in bare metal underneath and the paint is only very thinly applied to the outside surfaces- not unlike how they were when new I guess... One day when the time is right I'll pull it all apart again for the final prep and paint.

This pic is from the original for-sale ad I saw in 2010

The first time I saw the car

The previous pic is from yesterday, the first fine day of winter here so heater and fan blazing full hot as we roared off down to the beach.

I hope the pics can give you some inspiration to get your car back on the road. Over the last three years a huge amount of information, pics and general help has come from people on this forum which I appreciate very much and you'll surely find the same if you take the plunge.

Andy.

 

[Nader]

Wow, that car of yours has come a long way. Just goes to show that about anything can be done if you put your mind to it. I started with a similar substrate on my race car build, I just don't know if I have that amount of patience and energy left in me.

Funny how every classic or collectible car model has its coveted model years and factory designations that are meaningful only to the enthusiast of the marque. I'm familiar with it for Alfas and Porsches. How much of a difference does it make to the overall ownership and driving experience for a particular make/model? Who knows. I'm sure discs are better than drums, and roll up windows are great, but for me, it won't make or break the experience. Especially the one when you step out of the car and keep looking back at it.

Hmm, I'm slowly talking myself into working on this car...

 

[glemon]

I am coming late to the party, but will add a few things, I had a Healey 100 that I purchased rough but running about a decade ago. I ended up rebuilding the engine and transmission, repainting the car, rebuilding the suspension and steering, replacing the wire wheels and hubs, hydraulics, most everything except the soft bits of the interior, which were nice when I got the car. I really don't think I spent more than 10 grand on the car (plus the purchase price $5500, man those were the days nasty projects on e-bay going for more than that now), probably less, I did all the work myself with the exception of the tranny rebuild. there are more ways to do a car than concours correct, the block doesn't care what color it is, frames have been known to do yeoman's service for years even if they have dimples from jacks and lots of scraped paint (I mention this because I have ready many post about people spending a lot of time and energy fixing such things, if you want to more power to you, but it is certainly not a necessity). Not sure what your ultimate goal is, but you can save a lot of money and time if you just want to make the shiny bits smooth and shiny, and the functional bits safe and reliable. I do believe there is something to be said for do it once and do it right, or the shipwrights disease, once you start you cant stop, because it is easier to fix and polish a lot of things when the car is all apart. But it is also a bit of a gumption trap to think in terms of having to do a nut and bolt frame off, the time and money and or energy may not be there to do that, and you can still have an enjoyable (and very pretty) car even if you don't. There are in fact short cuts that can be taken, not saying it won't affect the value of the car when done, but if you are doing it to have a car for your own enjoyment that may not be the primary concern.

 

[pan]

I am glad that the last few posts have been more positive about Nader's project. This car looks eminently restorable to me, but then in Australia there never were that many six cylinder cars around so we have a different perpective.
Maybe not cost effective, but if potential profit was only the driving factor, very few cars would be restored!
I had a friend who visited the United States in the mid seventies. While there he made the rounds of the breakers yards (I think it may have been near Desmoines, Iowa) and was astonished at the quality of the Austin-Healeys that he found dismantled.

 

[TomFromStLouis]

I am far from an expert on the subject, but I can't help observing that if restorations were always about economics we'd probably see 90% fewer being done. From where I sit a restoration is about heart and soul and (yes) wallet. I am glad my car's prior owner poured a few of those ingredients into my Healey. It is a commitment for sure, but what in life is worthwhile without demanding that?

 

[John Turney]

Wow, that car of yours has come a long way. Just goes to show that about anything can be done if you put your mind to it. I started with a similar substrate on my race car build, I just don't know if I have that amount of patience and energy left in me.

...

That's some impressive work on your race car thread! Restoring the Healey would definitely be easier that machining all those Ti parts.

 

[Nader]

Wow, John, you read far enough into that thread to get to the Ti fabrication stuff, huh? Impressive. Problem with all those fabrication projects is that it sometimes feels like an actual job with deadlines and such. And being a work in progress, that race car is draining me of any free time and energy that I could direct at the Healey.

 

[TFR1]

Nader,
FWIW, I have seen Healeys in far worse condition than yours purchased and returned to the road for less than the asking prices seen lately.
Yes, it is a lot of work. No, you probably won't make much money when you part with the car.
But when you are finished, you will have a car the way you want. There will be none of the painful suprises that always come when buying someone elses restoration.
As for those comments that suggest a BN4 is an undesireable, forgive the for they know not what they speak.
My '57 BN4 has been spectacular. I love a true roadster. I don't want wind up windows.
I enjoy all Healeys', BIG and small, but the later cars do not excite me.
Healeys got bigger with time, but better??
Fix your project, have fun. Enjoy the ride.

TFR1

 

[Nader]

Thanks for the comment, TFR1. I'm still struggling with the choice of whether to restore or unload this car.

Has anyone heard anything about this outfit in Carnation, WA called Giordano's Vintage Motors? They have a running ad in the local Craigslist asking for big Healeys in any condition.