hi all - new to the forum ... got questions ...

[greyharte]

my name is loren i am obviously new to the forum (but not realy a novice to classic cars) and i have the opportunity to acquire a 3000 ... not sure what year ... all i know at this point is that it was originally the guy's grandfather's, when he died it was passed to his father who also died and as such was passed to him he is due to have triplets any day now and needs the cash

the car has been in storage and on blocks for the last 15 years, the steering rod was removed and there is a replacement rod ready to be put in ... it needs paint and a new rag top ... it may have the hard top as well

besides the obvious tires, flush the fuel lines and tank replace the battery and make sure that the crank turns smoothly ... are there any other things i should know or look out for?

i am also noticing that people are still discussing lucas ... my past experience has been that lucas has issues and converting to bosch is a good thing ... has this changed in recent years??

 

[Keoke]

HI Loren. Welcome to the forum.

i am also noticing that people are still discussing Lucas ... my past experience has been that Lucas has issues and converting to bosch is a good thing ... has this changed in recent years??

Based upon my experience with Lucas. Most of Lukas's issues are issued in by those that do not understand Lucas. IMOP, his only mistake was getting the wrong idea and polarity for Earth.--Fwiw--Keoke-- :wink:

 

[drambuie]

Hello Loren,
Welcome to this forum, You have come to the right place for sure! Many people here will be glad to offer advice and tips to help you understand your healey better. I don't know if you have bought this 3000 yet. But rust is a very common problem with most healeys. Check the outriggers and frame for rust damage as well as the floors, inner and outer sills, boot floor ect.... What year is it? Is it a 2 or 4 seater? Maybe if you post some pictures of the 3000 people here can help you point out weak and strong points of the car and guide you along! Good Luck!

 

[greyharte]

thanks for the welcome and the replies ... unfortunately dont have alot of info on it at this point .. hope to get more probably next week ... i live in a pretty dry state ... so if (as i believe) this is a 1 family car and grandad was the original owner, its been in storage (not open storage) for 15 years, im not expecting to see alot ... we also use more sand than salt on the roads here in the winter.

its interesting to read what you said keoke on lucas, i will keep that in mind as this progresses.

im pretty excited by the whole thing since this has been my dream car since i was 10 living in england that and the original cooper-s

 

[TimK]

I have all the original Lucas stuff on my car (now 50 years old) and its working great. I did add more fuses, however. Pay special attention to the brake system. I changed the brake hoses and rebuilt the calipers and rear brake cylinders. Change the brake fluid. Check the radiator/change the antifreeze. If gasoline was left in the carbs and it turned to varnish/gel you'll need to clean that out.

By the way, my Dad bought a 1966 Cooper S in 1968 and I got to drive it some. It was a blast.

I have a California Healey that had rust in rockers, rear dog legs and lower front fenders. The frame is solid and rust free. If you have rust damage, cut it out and have new sheet metal brazed in. You can get patch panels for some of these places.

 

[elrey]

WELCOME!!! #1. Look out for folks making suggestions who know nothing about Healeys.

 

[Rob Glasgow]

Speaking of the unwarranted reputation of Lucas gear, I agree with TimK. I still have all of the original Lucas equipment on the car that came with it in 1960. I think the bad reputation is not deserved but perpetuated by urban legend. I always laugh when someone tells me how those Lucas electric fuel pumps were unreliable and failed constantly. They don't believe it when I tell them those fuel pumps were made by SU, not Lucas.

Welcome to the forum GreyHearte.

 

[bob hughes]

<span style="color: #FF0000">I think the bad reputation is not deserved but perpetuated by urban legend.</span>



As far as I can tell, all my electrics are original lucas, with the exception of the front indicator/side lights, I have replaced them in the last few years, along with the tail from one of the head lights.

Let's be fair, the components are over 40 years old and nothing but nothing lasts forever.

What will the stuff they produce today perform like after 40 plus years of use and abuse. I have replaced alternators on cars under 15 years old in the past, along with relays, lights etc.

Bob

 

[germanmichel]

Hello,

welcome to the forum.
According your profile you live in a dry state.
I think the most problems with lucas part are coming from the bad sealed connectors and components working in an area with more rain and humid.
But anyway, we all like pictures ..... rusty or well painted.

Bye michel- who is actually restoring a california BT7

 

[Johnny]

WELCOME!!! #1. Look out for folks making suggestions who know nothing about Healeys.

OUCH!!!

 

[elrey]

Yeah, right. I was talking about the shmoes on the outside!