Expert help, what did I get...How good are you??

[joeekrub]

Just picked up an Austin Healey. Any idea what I got?? It doesn't have the original engine. The previous owner swapped it with what seems to be a genuine cobra motor. No rust, body is in great condition. Any help is appreciated. From my research, I think it is a '61 3000 mk1.... but I could be wrong

 

[BJ8Healeys]

The body and VIN plates indicate it is a BN7. A certificate from BMIHT would tell you if the body number matches with the VIN. If it does, there is a good chance you know which car it is. If they don't match, I would be suspicious without more data. There are a lot of Healeys running around with mixed-up identity plates.
Get in touch with the BN7 Registrar, Bob Haskell: rchaskell@earthlink.net. He may have some history on the car for you.

 

[elrey]

If it is TRULY a 61 BN7 w/ IT'S ORIGINAL vertical grill, it may well be a 2 SEATER TRI-CARB! :banana: One of the rarest Healeys made. But I doubt it. The numbers are wrong, the dash is from a BJ8, and perhaps the door's window assemblies and handles are from a BJ8. It looks to me as if it is made up from at LEAST two disparate autos. [Three if you count the engine.] As to the mill with the "Cobra" valve covers...

 

[BoyRacer]

The VIN plate shows the number 9870. This number is too low to be a MK II BN7. The first MK II (tri-carb) 2 seater was BN7L 13829.

 

[vette]

Instead of all the suggested Body mods, maybe it is a BJ8 with vin and body plates from a much older car.

 

[elrey]

Doubtful, as the rear shroud predates the BJ7/ BJ8's. The windscreen is also from an earlier model.

 

[elrey]

My wild eyed guess is that you have a 1961 MK1 BN7 "NASTY BOY" with a number of parts from later models fitted. Drive it!

 

[TimK]

Well, I just happened to come in from my garage after checking my numbers to submit to the BN7 registrar. My 1960 Mark I 2-seater has the following numbers on the aluminum tag you show in the top picture above:
3033BN7
5440

I have every reason to believe this car is numbered as original. I have data back to 1970 verifying the Car number (HBN7L5887).

The shroud on your car is clearly a two seater. Someone has melded later grille and doors with a BN7 shroud.

 

[BoyRacer]

Elrey,
I need to step in here an correct a common misconception. A modified Healey is not a "nasty boy". It is the owner of the car that is the Nasty Boy. In the Modified Registry maintained by LeRoy Joppa, the cars are referred to as "modified". We, the owners of modifieds are the "Nasty Boys".

Richard Mayor, aka Nasty Boy

PS. The Healey racecar in my avatar is not a modified.

 

[elrey]

One thousand pardons I am glad you stepped in to correct my long held misconception. I will leave my previous post unedited so that others may learn from my blunder. As a nose strap wearing purist, :smirk: I rarely consort with your type

so I knew not.
Continued success, --elrey

 

[Cottontop]

Elrey,
I need to step in here an correct a common misconception. A modified Healey is not a "nasty boy". It is the owner of the car that is the Nasty Boy. In the Modified Registry maintained by LeRoy Joppa, the cars are referred to as "modified". We, the owners of modifieds are the "Nasty Boys".
Richard Mayor, aka Nasty Boy

Richard... That is not quite correct.

I am the former vice president of Leroy Joppa's Modified Austin Healey Registry and almost 15 years ago, I started and still maintain the Modified Austin Healey Registry web site (www.modifiedhealeys.org). YOUR car is number 60.

Depending on the modifications, any Big Healey or Sprite may qualify to be a Modified Austin Healey, although we do accept Jensens.

The slang term "Nasty Boy", I was told was uttered many years ago. as the story goes, several Brits including a particularly crusty one (whose name escapes me) were are a Thruxton Field meet when a very loud and lumpy Chevy powered big Healey rolled up, shaking the ground as it travelled.

As legend has it, the Crusty one looked down at the car and said "My... That IS a NASTY boy isn't it?". In some circles, the moniker stuck.

Personally I hate the term "Nasty Boy" (Google the term and you will see why) and would NEVER attach that label to ANY car or especially any owner. But that may be just me....

Tim

 

[Cottontop]

The previous owner swapped it with what seems to be a genuine cobra motor.

IF you did happen to have an unmolested original "Cobra" engine, it is probably worth north of $250,000. There were few made and like 100S Healeys, most have been accounted for.

I also "do" Classic Mustangs (66 GT Fastback here)

and have access Ford's motor number decoding information.

Get me the motor/serial number of the engine in your car and I will find out what you really have in there.

The motor number is stamped into the bottom lip of the block and is located above the starter motor.

Tim

 

[joeekrub]

The previous owner swapped it with what seems to be a genuine cobra motor.

and have access Ford's motor number decoding information.

Get me the motor/serial number of the engine in your car and I will find out what you really have in there.

The motor number is stamped into the bottom lip of the block and is located above the starter motor.

Tim

Thanks for all the responses guys. SOme background on the car. It was bought at a nice estate sale. I also purchased a 1961 Cooper S. The previous owner collected a lot of parts, like badges, mirrors, tailights, etc. They all still have the price tags on them. I have a very good hunch that this car is numbers matching(except for the motor). I will be doing more investigating over the weekend. Any ideas on things I should be checking out while meddling about?

 

[joeekrub]

I have every reason to believe this car is numbered as original. I have data back to 1970 verifying the Car number (HBN7L5887).

The shroud on your car is clearly a two seater. Someone has melded later grille and doors with a BN7 shroud.

With the few extras that came with the car, there was a grill, so your hunch is most likely correct with someone adding a later grill....Not sure if this helps anyone figure anything out.

I went ahead and emailed Bob. Will let you know what he comes back with

 

[AUSMHLY]

From the photos, here's some things I find interesting.

1. I think the windscreen is correct. The doors are wrong. The windscreen is not correct for wind up windows. The cars with wind up windows had a curved windscreen. I'd like to see a close up of where the windscreen posts meet the vent window front edge. How was that done?

2. The door handles have push button locks, which were started on the BJ8 phase 2 models. I believe the doors are from a BJ8 phase 2, which went into production in 1964.

3. What does the front badge say?

4. Can't tell what the dash looks like. It does not look like a stock BJ8 dash, for it looks like there are a lot of gauges in the center? Being the rear shroud is not a BJ8, this car should not have a wooden dash or center consul.

Seems this car is a mash-up of different years.

 

[Healey_Z]

The previous owner swapped it with what seems to be a genuine cobra motor.

IF you did happen to have an unmolested original "Cobra" engine, it is probably worth north of $250,000. There were few made and like 100S Healeys, most have been accounted for.

Tim

Wrong carb, distributor, intake, valve cover......

 

[elrey]

Yep! And you've got bolt on alloy rims in the front, knock-off wires in the rear? Hard to tell in the photos. Is the transmission original? If so It would be a side shift, hopefully with overdrive. Good for you on these purchases. And a Cooper S to boot! :thumbsup:

 

[pan]

Well! The things you guys get up to over there! The doors are interesting, I don't think they are from a BJ8 as the door capping seems to be lower than those found on the convertibles. And I too would like to see how the roadster screen fits up to the winding window quarter vents. I've seen some "bodgie" cars but I've never seen one with alloys on the front and wires on the back axle!

 

[Randy Forbes]

Well! The things you guys get up to over there! The doors are interesting, I don't think they are from a BJ8 as the door capping seems to be lower than those found on the convertibles. And I too would like to see how the roadster screen fits up to the winding window quarter vents. <span style="font-weight: bold">I've seen some "bodgie" cars but I've never seen one with alloys on the front and wires on the back axle!</span>

Indeed, it's much easier to go the other way, and why you'd see so many cars with 15" Buick rims on the back during the 60s-70s.

 

[Patrick67BJ8]

Well! The things you guys get up to over there! The doors are interesting, I don't think they are from a BJ8 as the door capping seems to be lower than those found on the convertibles. And I too would like to see how the roadster screen fits up to the winding window quarter vents. <span style="font-weight: bold">I've seen some "bodgie" cars but I've never seen one with alloys on the front and wires on the back axle!</span>

Indeed, it's much easier to go the other way, and why you'd see so many cars with 15" Buick rims on the back during the 60s-70s.

I remember seeing those Buick rims on the rear axles and wires on the fronts back in the '70's because the owners couldn't afford/locate new wire wheels. Also, a lot of buying used wire wheels too and trying to find places to tune them and then the buying wheels that were in better shape than the ones you already had.

There was that old saying "they tune them with tuning forks" wise tale too. 60 spoke wheels were about $40 and 72's were about $50, and that was probably more of a person's car budget that it is today for new wheels.