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I think you have inspected the car well. If you are satisfied that the frame is solid except for the spot you showed us then that is a pretty good frame. You said you inspected the floor from above and below and found nothing to be concerned about. Let me tell you, a Healey frame is very light and is the weakest part of the car. If this frame is showing almost no external rust then that is a pretty good frame. You said the engine bay looks good, the engine runs and sounds good, the trans works good, the overdrive is probably an electrical issue (very likely the throttle switch), the rear end is quiet and not clunky ( although many rear ends can be clunky and are easy fix), the brakes work, the gas tank looks good, the trunk floor is solid, and the interior looks good.
What else do you want for $34K ? Go buy one that has been doctored up with body putty and a shiny coat of paint for $60K. Will you have a better car? i'm not saying you won't have problems, these cars are 60 years old, even when rebuilt they can be eccentric. If you want a prefect car that should be trouble free at least for a while, go spend 60k and up. If you want reality at 30 or 35K expect some things will need attention. I still think that 30K would be a good buy for you. But obviously the seller thinks $34,500 is a good price for him. If you could get it down to 34 would you buy it? Are you willing to lose the deal for $4000. If your buget is so tight that you can't afford some repairs then maybe a Healey isn't for you. If you buy it and find that some repair cost are killing you and you decide to sell it at an underwater price..... well then maybe it isn't for you. These cars can get expensive. Here's a pic of how far I had to go with mine and I never had a chance to inspect it much when I bought it. This is my own work and if I had to pay a shop to do this it probably would have been near 100k before it was done. But I bought it because the repair work is part of the game to me. I've heard stories of people paying outrageous amounts of money for a collector car and spending an almost equal amount to have to rebuild it all over again. They were so far underwater that they would never recoup their money. But that's another point, I don't ever expect to recoup my money. I bought it to have it and play with it forever. Not to sell it 5 years down the road for a profit. Sorry to be so blunt. Just my opinion. Here's a pic of how far I had to go. Actually I had to go further because I had floors and everything out.
What else do you want for $34K ? Go buy one that has been doctored up with body putty and a shiny coat of paint for $60K. Will you have a better car? i'm not saying you won't have problems, these cars are 60 years old, even when rebuilt they can be eccentric. If you want a prefect car that should be trouble free at least for a while, go spend 60k and up. If you want reality at 30 or 35K expect some things will need attention. I still think that 30K would be a good buy for you. But obviously the seller thinks $34,500 is a good price for him. If you could get it down to 34 would you buy it? Are you willing to lose the deal for $4000. If your buget is so tight that you can't afford some repairs then maybe a Healey isn't for you. If you buy it and find that some repair cost are killing you and you decide to sell it at an underwater price..... well then maybe it isn't for you. These cars can get expensive. Here's a pic of how far I had to go with mine and I never had a chance to inspect it much when I bought it. This is my own work and if I had to pay a shop to do this it probably would have been near 100k before it was done. But I bought it because the repair work is part of the game to me. I've heard stories of people paying outrageous amounts of money for a collector car and spending an almost equal amount to have to rebuild it all over again. They were so far underwater that they would never recoup their money. But that's another point, I don't ever expect to recoup my money. I bought it to have it and play with it forever. Not to sell it 5 years down the road for a profit. Sorry to be so blunt. Just my opinion. Here's a pic of how far I had to go. Actually I had to go further because I had floors and everything out.
