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Price check on an original 1957 100-6 BN4?

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100DashSix

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I have a 1957 100-6 BN4 that I'm thinking about selling, but I don't know what a good price range is for these cars these days.

When the weather gets nicer I'll clean it up, buff up the chromework, and take better pictures, but for the moment:



It's an unrestored but maintained second-owner car with the factory hard top. White, original paint, some patina, and has a blue racing stripe that the original owner put on it. When I got it (~10 yrs now) Healey Surgeons in DC replaced a bunch of parts: new rubber hoses, new tires, rebuilt or new clutch and brake cylinders (would have to check if they're rebuilt or new), new brakes and brake slave cylinders, new clutch slave cylinder, new points/cap/plugs/wires. It also has a new fuel pump and rebuilt SUs. No spitting from the SUs or any leaks up there. Garage kept its whole life, zero rust, including the underbody. It has a functioning overdrive. Synchros are worn in second. Runs great, good compression, no smoke, doesn't drink radiator fluid or froth up. No body damage. Lights and electrics all work.

The seats in the interior are a bit rough, with the seams mostly torn. Some small things like hose clamps aren't the original style. On the rear passenger's side some paint flecked off and the previous owner used what looks like white spray paint to cover it up. My one good photo of the dashboard has the odometer covered up, but it might've been 50k miles or so. I'll have check.

Does anyone have a good price range for when I list the car? I drive it from time to time when the weather's nice, but spend much more time with my MG (and now my Lotus Evora!), and I never fit in it that great (6'3").
 
My dad has a recent Price Guide from Old Cars Weekly; I'll check for you next week (that might be a good starting point). I'd call this a '#2-3' car, no? The factory hardtop probably add $3-4K.
 
Dash - would you also happen to have the Austin warranty of 3/1/57 to go with the car. small world, I actually some some pics of the car taken a number of years ago, I guess when it was to be sold, but nothing of the hardtop. send me some info by pm
thanks
 
healey106 said:
Dash - Nice 2 port head Longbridge. How early is it? could you share the vin # BN4L-O-xxxxx?

thanks
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Sure thing, VIN is BN4L-0-33431

As for the warranty, that's something I'm unfamiliar with. The car did come with some original documentation as I recall, but I'd have to look around. From what I remember there was a very early fire extinguisher, a jack that you pump up, a book, and a few documents. These could be after-market things though. There's also a spare tire, also a wire wheel with the knockoff.

I think I bought this car in 2005 or 6. My father had given me his blue 57 100-6 (very similar) which I fixed up in high school, but it was damaged in transport. The shipping company paid us for that car, and we then bought this much nicer and more original big Healey. This was all around august 2005, when I joined the forum (and started asking a million questions).

And yeah, if I sell it it'd go from owner #2 to owner #3.
 
"And yeah, if I sell it it'd go from owner #2 to owner #3."

Not sure if you're kidding, but #2-3 refers to condition: #1 car is generally considered concours-level resto or excellent, low mileage original. 2-3 would be somewhere between a #2 and a #3; i.e. a good, original car (torn upholstery brings value down). I think your car could be considered a 'survivor,' which have become more valuable recently.
 
Bob_Spidell said:
"And yeah, if I sell it it'd go from owner #2 to owner #3."

Not sure if you're kidding, but #2-3 refers to condition: #1 car is generally considered concours-level resto or excellent, low mileage original. 2-3 would be somewhere between a #2 and a #3; i.e. a good, original car (torn upholstery brings value down). I think your car could be considered a 'survivor,' which have become more valuable recently.
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That way it was phrased made it sound like you weren't sure how many times it had been owned. I'm not sure about the condition, but between 2 and 3 sounds right, yea. Closer to 3 than 2 I think. Survivor sounds accurate
 
Based on the vin # it should have been built in late 56 or very early 57. The draw back with this car it has the 2porthead and all experts say this is under powered and the reason they switched to the 6porthead in 58. needless to say it is the first 4 seater for the 100 Six
 
Ah, interesting. I know the 100-6 has never been the most desirable of the Big Healeys, but my father and I wanted to get one that was the same as the first one we had--plus the lower cost meant we could get one that was in better condition and much more driveable.

Regarding prices, I've seen incomplete, non-running, rust bucket 100-6s that someone wants $9k for, and concourse restorations for 50k+. eBay seems to boost the prices by 5k, and Hemmings by 10k. I've not seen a survivor 100-6 in some time though, so I don't have a good gauge yet.
 
One would have to see more pictures, but if it truly is a survivor that does not need a repaint, it should be worth quite a bit. Regarding the two port head, I actually like that. Many cars that came with the two port head had engines replaced, making the original cars more rare. With a 60 year old car, does performance really matter that much? If I want to go fast, it's time to bring out the SS or the Cobra.
 
Looks like it has already been repainted. What is the original color. The engine bay should match the exterior paint, I noticed yours is painted black. If it really is a "survivor" car that would be great because it is a longbridge built car. Those cars have many different and unique features that are often lost or not paid attention to when doing a "restoration". We like pictures here so post as many as you can and we can ascertain if your car has the features of a longbridge car still. By the way the car i restored was #34099, not too far off from yours.
 
healeyblue said:
Looks like it has already been repainted. What is the original color. The engine bay should match the exterior paint, I noticed yours is painted black. If it really is a "survivor" car that would be great because it is a longbridge built car. Those cars have many different and unique features that are often lost or not paid attention to when doing a "restoration". We like pictures here so post as many as you can and we can ascertain if your car has the features of a longbridge car still. By the way the car i restored was #34099, not too far off from yours.
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Ah was it really repainted? These are things I've forgotten since my dad and I got it. I'll have to clean it up and take proper pictures, but here's what I have so far:

https://imgur.com/a/7gsNn

The hardtop is black, so perhaps that's also an indication of the original color.

There are some things not pictured, like some original documents, an original grease gun, and I think the original little hydraulic barrel jack.

I'd be very interested in hearing more about what makes the longbridge cars unique.

You'll notice in the interior that the previous owners put in a radio and a little shelf sometime in the 60s or 70s. It's easily removable, but I do like having the music.
 
Dash - thanks for sharing. try to find those documents - they actually came from the dealer
1 - Preliminary Maintence Instructions is very rare.
2 - The Austin Warranty is a must for the true healey crazy.

The black engine bay appears to be ok for some Longbridge cars there appears to be no authority for consistency.

check Derek's site www.healeysix.net for a lot of info
 
I did find a bunch of receipts of repairs and maintenance done to the car, but it's mostly what I covered above.

As for its value, what sort of range is appropriate? 15k? 20k? 25k?
 
100DashSix said:
I did find a bunch of receipts of repairs and maintenance done to the car, but it's mostly what I covered above.

As for its value, what sort of range is appropriate? 15k? 20k? 25k?
Click to expand...

Hello -

I own a '57 100-6 MM (6-port head) with a factory hardtop which I vintage race. The racing stripe on our car will de-value it a little as an original looking stock car. However, I suggest throughly cleaning it inside/outside and underneath, take high quality detail photos along with all documentation, then advertise it world wide. IMHO, it's not unreal for it to go to the UK or Australia for $20K-$25K, if everything checks out, (no rust or body damage, all mechanicals are spot on)

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/list/8/100|6/

Good luck, keep us information on your sale
 
That white paint certainly looks old enough to be original. But having the inner body in black does not look right.

If I understand correctly, someone thought that the black inner body might be original for a white Longbridge car. I had not heard that before and am wondering about the source of that information. Can anyone point to a source that confirms or contradicts this?
 
I happen to have a Longbridge built in April 57, since 72 which is white but a red interior and it also had a black engine area. when the car was redone we checked for a white underframe and we found none
 
healey106 said:
I happen to have a Longbridge built in April 57, since 72 which is white but a red interior and it also had a black engine area. when the car was redone we checked for a white underframe and we found none
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Thanks for that information; always interested in learning more about the Longbridge cars. I have three Longbridge cars - one undergoing restoration and two "maybe some day" projects. As far as I can tell, all three of these had the inner body and frame painted body color. Original colors for the three cars were red, yellow, and black. Maybe the black inner body was something they did with the white (and, of course, black) cars???
 
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Supposedly, some of the 100s got black paint forward of the scuttle. I bought a photo set of a 100M concours resto, and it showed black paint in the engine bay and the chassis. I think our '56 100M originally had it, but I wasn't aware of this particular idiosyncrasy and we painted the chassis white.
 
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