How long did it take to restore your car?

[RestoreThemAll]

Bighealeysource made this comment on a different thread...

"I love the signature line from RestoreThemAll - "began Dec 2005, est complete 2023" ! Boy can I identify as had a 1949 MG TC that I began in 1983 and finished in 2000, started off as a labor of love and ended up just a labor !!!"

My response...

..."I will say that through all the interruptions and road blocks I do keep the project going. Even if only through others efforts on this forum. I don't really have a choice. My son, 33 years old, and his niece/clone, 9 years old (my granddaughter) ask often "when are you going to get the healey on the road?"

Now I'm currious as to how long it took or is taking others to do their ground up restoration. Let's share some stories. Let's not get into budget. Someone on the BCF has a signature that reads something like "my biggest fear is that my wife sells my car after I'm gone for what I told her I have into it." That says it all. BTW; my new projected completion date is 2015, or 16, or...​

 

[John Turney]

I bought my BN4 in May, 1991.
In Dec, 1991, I pulled the head to replace the head gasket and a freeze plug. In Oct, '92, it was running again.
In June, 1994, I began the restoration.
In Sept, 1999, the engine was running again.
In Sept, 2000, I drove it to it's first meet.
In July, 2001, the transmission and OD came out for rebuild.
In June 2002, I went to Open Roads in Lake Tahoe with the interior partially done.
In Summer 2012, I finished the interior.
This last weekend, I was still doing upgrades. I will probably continue to do them until I can't drive anymore.

 

[Editor_Reid]

[h=2]How long did it take to restore your car?[/h]
I'll let you know, if it's ever finished.

 

[Healey Nut]

The BRG 67 BJ8 took me 5 1/2 yrs total ground up . However you never stop tweaking and playing so are they really ever finished ??:smile-new::eagerness:

 

[57_BN4]

Towed two trailer loads of scrap metal home mid 2010
Spent rest of 2010 and most of 2011 disassembling, cleaning, paint stripping, repairing mechanical parts
Received new chassis frame mid 2011
Swapped body tubs onto new chassis 2011-2012
Dyno tested engine and rebuilt transmission 2012
Received interior trim mid 2012
Took car to panel shop to have patch panels grafted in and door gaps aligned end 2012
Primed, straightened and [temporarily] painted panelwork Feb 2013
Assembled everything for preliminary build early 2013
First road registration since 1996 on March 20, 2013
Currently driving car and working out the last few bugs, rattles, noises, leaks, mismatched stuff
Full strip down and final paint planned for end 2013/early 2014

Andy.

 

[Superwrench]

Towed car and pick-up truck load of parts home on Memorial day 2010. Finished car Memorial day 2013. Did everything but paint and final panel fit myself. Engine, Trans. Overdrive and fit new 3.54 gears myself. Lot of hard work, Beer and money !

 

[pkmh]

First, spent six months looking for the "right" one for me. Bought mine on 10/10/10. Spent many hours on bearings, rebuilding fuel system, carbs, brakes, cooling system, interior, some electrical, rust, steering, tires, painting, etc., etc., etc....Then, car totaled 10/29/12 from Hurricane Sandy having a 3' diameter tree land on her. Well, that one never finished, but was getting there. Now for my next Healey...Another six months spent in searching but got a better one (costing much more, of course). But not as much needed as before, but working on things here and there. It'll never end. Just no more hurricanes, please?!

 

[healeyblue]

Bought the BN4 in june of 2006 started taking it apart in August of 2006. Dis-assembly continued until about january or February of 2007, then purchase of a Porsche speedster took precedence and the Healey was put aside until the Speedster metal work was done in 2009. Then restoration of the Healey started again in Oct. of 2009 and went until around May of 2011. By May I was back to putting the Speedster back together as it was back from the painter, so work on the Healey slowed. I was finally able to get the Healey to the painter and back in September of 2011. The Speedster was done by then so final assembly could begin. Final assembly took all the way until May of 2013. I still have the hardtop to finish but the rest of the car is done and has been since May. So around 3 years 10 months of work time. That would be about 1 to 2 days a week working on the car for that time frame. If I try and average it out and connect all the days together it would probably be about 120 straight days of work. That would be 120 8 hour days coming to 960 man hours. If I would have charged my usual 30.00 an hour restoration fee it would have been 28,800.00. WOW. The car came out nice though, time well spent.

 

[roscoe]

Mine took me about 7 years of off and on work. I have to say that I could have done it more quickly if I had not stopped to teach myself how to do lead work and all of my own panel beating, to relearn everything I once knew about painting, to take my time building my engine, and the list goes on. I thought I had just about done it all when I started fitting my soft top. That got to the point where I was about to send it back because I was so sure it could not possibly fit. I was sort of the same way when I did my seat upholstry. If I have to say so, they both please me now and all it really took was patience. Patience iis the one thing we tend to forget as time consumed during rebuild. And those evenings during the winter sitting by the fire labeling every end of the new wire harness.....priceless.

 

[Keith_M]

I bought my Healey in 1989. It wasn't running, but the engine turned, and it was complete except for an interior. I planned to restore it over the next several years. Instead, I got married, bought and restored an old house (Victorian, on the Historic Register), and had two kids.

Fast forward to 2007, when I finally had the time and money to start the restoration. I did a complete off-frame restoration, rebuilding, restoring or replacing everything on the car with the help of my son, who was 10 when we started and 15 when we finished. Although I hired the body work and the tranny rebuild out, I did the rest of the work myself including rebuilding the engine. I finished the car in 2012 and have been driving and enjoying it ever since. Needless to say, the now-16 yr old son likes driving it too!

Starting on the bugeye this fall, but that's for a different post in a different forum...

 

[bob hughes]

Bought my BJ7 as a rolling restoration in 2002 and it was driveable, then fitted a horn push and signal indicator ( it came with a push button and a hand turn under the dash)

Since then new front disc brakes and suspension strip and rebuild.
New clutch and master cylinder
Rear suspension
near side sills and floor, front and back wings
offside sills and floor, front and back wings
patched up seats for now to make it look nice - pans were rotten, foam was disintegrating etc.
Sorted the soft top frame and fabric
Engine rebuild and stripped out front suspension, electrics, everything in the cockpit in and under dashboard - re-sprayed engine bay, and cockpit and reinstalled everything.

And that brings me just about up to date.

To do
The trunk floor
replace hub splines all round and new wheels
carpet, interior panels and seats

Then I start all over again - lol



Bob

 

[John_Progess]

I did a total ground up restoration on my 64 BJ8 in 27 months working 6 to 8 hours a day 7 days a week. I did everything (can't afford to pay someone else), no body touched this car but me. I was retired at the time and I enjoy the labor!

 

[longbridgehealey]

I don't know yet, I've only had the 100-6 since 1979

 

[Griz]

Bought my BJ7 in Georgia in 2007, trailered it back to Montana in about 1000 pieces. The previous owner had started the process, got it all disassembled and lost interest. I'm finally to the point of installing the new wiring system. But I figure at the rate I'm going it could be 1-2 more years to complete. Did you ever try to put a car back together that you did not disassemble? Griz

 

[HEALEYJAG]

My first ground up was a 67 BJ8..rust free texas car with 50,000 miles.. dissassembly took one week..total ground up 11 months.. Had friend with an electric motor shop so he had all the equipment I needed and a cool paint booth..Never had to wait on anybody.

Pete

 

[elrey]

Bought my 61 bt7 tricarb drivable but ratty in 1984, rebuilt the engine and carbs myself that year, rebuilt front suspension/overdrive the next year, took it apart to paint late in the next year, then broke my back. I then transfered my interests to my Volvo 122s. I could not even sit in the Healey for many years... so it sat in a trailer body until a few years ago. Presently I am back on track. I have just rebuilt the transmission and the chassis is fully repaired and in primer. The panels are straight and the shrouds are no longer ripped and smashed. I hope to finish paint the chassis in a few weeks. I am doing it all by myself but for the machining and aluminum welding. Most all the parts to finish are waiting in the wings, as I have been collecting them for many years. My nascent painting skills are poor but improving. Most of the cars I read about appear to be just short of perfect. Within the last few months I have come to the realization that a driver quality refurbishment is all I need, so with that in mind I am forging ahead trying to avoid stagnation due to my perfectionism. This has been a struggle. ---elrey

 

[HealeyDave]

7 years and counting. Realistically, 2 more years to get it on the road. Maybe 3 Then the never ending small details.
I'm glad I did it and pleased with the results so far. But, some days ..........
My then 5 year old son (now 12) has learned a lot about wrenching (and garage safety - a big deal with me) along the way.

Hey - I just remembered while writing this - my BN7 was built Sept 10 and 11, 1960.

 

[HealeyPassion]

12 years and counting.... doubt that I will ever think its "done". Cheers, Steve

 

[RestoreThemAll]

This is really fun stuff. Great stories.

My dad bought my BJ7 for me in 1973 when I was 15 years old. It was a rough driver. It was supposed to keep me out of trouble. Ha! Drove it some then parked it. Without my knowledge it was moved to a barn with a leaky roof. Would have been better off outside. My son and I took it apart when he was about 15, around 1995. We were overwhelmed with the amount of...well everything! Sat until 2005 when I finally admited that I needed help. Took it to Martin Jensen for a new frame, and body repair. Super structure is in color. New suspension installed, mostly. Rebuilt engine, head, trans., rear end all painted and ready for install. New front and rear springs and many parts painted or powder coated. New wiring harness, brake and fuel lines installed. Body panels are near perfect with a couple of hundred hours of hand sanding. It will be a rolling chassis with a running engine before spring...it will, it will it will!!