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roscoe

roscoe

Jedi Knight
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This is just the story of why I have a BN-2. When I was a junior in High school (1969) on Long Island, NY, there was a German fellow who owned a Sinclair service station across the street from one of my classes. He had a silver 100M. I can still conjure up the sound of him taking off to pick up parts around town. It was just a very vivid memory. Seven years ago I started looking for a restorable 3000. Looked at a lot of junk. I had a chat with Norman Nock at the British car event in Dixon, CA. He convinced me I really wanted a 100. The more I read and looked, the more I agreed with Mr. Nock. I was lucky to find a 100 that had been disassembled for restoration in 1973. The end of a long search. Almost 7 years later, I have just returned from a 30 mile trip that was the nexus of all these events. A drive up the beautiful Capay Valley near where I live (northwest of Sacramento), and after many shorter trips, this was the one where nothing went wrong. To say I'm pleased is an understatement. I want to thank everyone who has donated their years of experience with these cars, Basil for putting us all on the web, and I only hope I can be of some help to some other poor slob who is lucky enough to find one of these machines to make theirs. I had only been driven IN a big Healey once before. I never had driven one myself, before mine. Dang, it really is a thrill.
 
roscoe, its nice to hear of the satisfaction your now enjoying and wish you many years of the same, enjoy. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/driving.gif
 
very nice...I wish you pleasant times with your Healey. let's see some pictures!

ps - we Healey owners are not such poor slobs
 
Congratulations! There are a lot of nice drives around Esparto. I've got a Sprite that lives in Winters, and I drive the daylights out of it when I'm there.
Enjoy!
Jeff
 
I've got to get my wife to upload some photos to our web site (unless there is a way to put a photograph in the box other than using a web link). They'll be along soon. Yes Jeff, there are some nice drives in my neighborhood. If you want some company let me know the next time you are out this way. We're just a little southwest of Madison. Breakfast at Puta Creek Cafe?
Sorry Nevets, I didn't mean that in derogatory way. It's just that it is always more work than you think. I should know that from my restoration work with aircraft. At various times, like during removal of the inner sills, and countless hours with a hammer and dolly, I put myself in the "poor slob" catagory. You are correct you can't be truly poor and have a Healey, and although one can be a slob, that strategy won't pay off when you are 50 miles from home and have to deal with the job you should have done in the garage. That being said, the grin on my face is only partly from the smiles and waves I'm getting, it is mostly from knowing what I was able to learn and do in order to get there. I was really more of a "happy" poor slob.

Jon
 
Jon, I don't know when I'll be out again, as the folks at work cancelled all our Christmas break. Maybe in the spring. The Putah Creek Cafe is just fine by me!! (Beats breakfast in Rumsey.)
Aircraft restoration? You aren't by any chance connected with the museum at McClellan, are you?
Jeff
 
Jeff,
No I'm not associated with the museum. It is well worth the trip to Sacramento to see it. The new building is very well done. I've just restored a couple of airplanes I've owned (a Cessna 140, and now a Piper PA-16). I must say the Healey project has been far more complicated, and diverse in terms of the spectrum of skills used, than the airplanes were. I take care of an EMS helicopter at the Nut Tree, so I cruise by Winters every day. Is that you about to roll over in the sprite? Tell us about that, why don't you?

Jon
 
Hello,

I wish you many enjoyable moments with yout Healey after all those years. I just started to disassemble my BN 7 for a what I hope will be a ground up

Kind regards,

Harry
 
Jon, not much of a story behind the rollover. (Yes, it's me.) I'd just made a pass on the inside of the right hander for the lead, when the yabbo I passed moved down on me. My right front tire caught the apex curbing, and away I went. The larger pictures of the event are in the Sprite Gallery.
Breakfast at the Cafe, a nice drive up to Clearlake, back down the Silverado Trail, through Angwin to Pope Valley, down along the lake, and dinner at the Buckhorn. How does that sound? If you don't mind being seen with one of those "little" Healeys! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
Jeff
 
Jeff,
That sounds like a good trip to make. Keep us in mind. No problem being seen with the sprite. Every time I see one I think that if I had it to do over again...

Jon
 
Here are a few photos. I hope you can see the difference between the before and after shots. The before pictures were taken the day I brought it home.

Healey1.JPG


Healey2.JPG


Healey3.JPG


Healey4.JPG


Healey5.JPG


Healey6.JPG


Healey7.JPG
 
Hey Jon

You are looking younger in the last photo.See how Austins Healey's are good for you.

Nice

Mark
 
You guys mambers of the GGAHC? We do rides around your area. Also the best gathering in at Dixon each spring by the United British Care Club of Sacromento. Many Healeys there.
Anyone going to San Juan Bautista later this month?
TH
 
Thank you all for the kind words. It won't win any prizes but it is a nice driver if I do say so myself. The last photo is at the RH Phillips winery near Dunnigan. Beautiful spot to go (and they still don't charge for tasting), we went back there that night for an outdoor showing of "Some Like it Hot". San Juan Bautista is still a bit of a long haul as I still consider myself in the "shakedown phase". There are so many good clubs, but my work requires me to be on call and able to respond within an hour, all except for one weekend a month, so it is tough to make meetings. I'll be joining United British this spring. And yes, I know my rear leaf springs are a little low. As soon as it starts raining here, off they come to get re-arched. It never is really done, but it is a joy.

Jon
 
Wow... NICE car.

ok don't kill be but she looks a bit low in the rear?
 
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