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New member in San Ramon, CA with a BJ8

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Brad in SR

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I've had my Austin Healey 3000 Mk III since the early '80s. It was my only car for several years after I moved back to the Bay Area from Hawaii. I'm the third owner. The car came to California from Connecticut. It has a USAF "Air Defense Command" sticker on the front bumper, so it may have been a service member's car in the UK. I then bought a VW Jetta GLI (the only new car I've ever owned) and kept the Healey in my folks garage in San Mateo. I couldn't get it to pass its then-required smog check because the HD8 SU carbs' throttle shaft bushings were worn to the point of leaking so much that they leaned out the mixture and failed the check. So off came the carbs, and then out came the radiator, then off came the rocker arm cover, then out came the seats, yada yada yada...and so it sat for many years, slightly disassembled in the garage as I acquired new parts (mostly from Moss) and "planned". Life got in the way and then my Dad found a mechanic to machine and rebuild the SUs. Finally, in December of 2022, I took it to that same mechanic in San Mateo where he, after much prep work, got it running again after ~35 years. Note that during that time we kept the battery charged, squirted some oil in the cylinders and turned the engine over on a regular basis. It's now got a new clutch, new ring gear, new overdrive, new fuel pump, rebuilt driver floor pan (rusty mess that it was!), and lots more. Starts easily and sounds amazing. It's registered and insured now, and nearly "roadable". Much more to do still, but progress is being made. I will be looking to other members for advice and guidance on various subjects, e.g., how to remove and repair the dented grill splines, etc.
 
welcome and sounds like this story has a very happy ending
 
Welcome Brad! You will find we have a very active Austin Healy forum here so be sure to jump in there too!
 
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