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Team healey - pdx

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dougie

dougie

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Hello -

I decided to create this blog chronicle my vintage racing efforts with my 1957 AH 100-6 MM, including preparation, maintenance and race day action. My hope is to inspire those who might be dreaming of getting behind the wheel on the track in the most beautiful sports car ever made. It's not as difficult as one might think. If you can dream it, you can do it, I did......

View attachment 26233

Dougie
 
Most of you are probably aware of the very popular Austin Healey 100 LeMans performance model and dealer package 100-M. Most however, are not aware that late in 1957 with the success of the class win of Wisdom and Winby in the
Mille Miglia racing the # 414 100-SIX, DMC offered a performance package that reflected the upgrades used in that car.
Taking clues from the engine performance developed in this car came the introduction of the 12-port (MM) head, dumping the dismal performing "gallery" style" head which most early Longdbridge BN4's are equipped with. This change open the door to the racing success of the 6-cylinder Healey.

Derek Job's wonderful site on the 100-SIX provides this historical information in great detail: http://www.healeysix.net/100sixmm.htm

Dougie
 
Doug - I'm just putting a 1963 MKll on the road after 25-years of storage. A friend has suggested we put the Healey on the track this summer on Public days (Mission, BC). That idea, plus just for safety I'm thinking of adding a roll-bar to the car. Any suggestions on either how to have one made-up, plans, or a supplier to purchase?

Vince
 
Lastly, your in Portland - is your track the same track they race motorcycles - forgot the name, but a friend brings his bike down to a track east of you.
 
climbingshuksan;bt20 said:
Doug - I'm just putting a 1963 MKll on the road after 25-years of storage. A friend has suggested we put the Healey on the track this summer on Public days (Mission, BC). That idea, plus just for safety I'm thinking of adding a roll-bar to the car. Any suggestions on either how to have one made-up, plans, or a supplier to purchase?

Vince
Click to expand...

I would contact Kirks Racing Products, I think they have kits already design the the big Healey. You can get them in pre-cut pieces and then assemble in your garage. Lots of options from similar streets style to full race.

http://www.kirkracing.com
 
climbingshuksan;bt21 said:
Lastly, your in Portland - is your track the same track they race motorcycles - forgot the name, but a friend brings his bike down to a track east of you.
Click to expand...

Yes, I'm in Portland, OR. Our local track is Portland Int'l Raceway (PIR). It's been around since the late 1950's and has played host to the CART Series, American LeMans, Trans AM, Can AM, and many more.

I was in Mission BC last year to compete in the Bristish Columbia Historic Races at Rivers Edge Raceway, very tight course. Here's a view from behind the wheel.

[video=youtube;r5bac_ySW6E]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5bac_ySW6E&feature=share&list=UUKgBelHspm 4MhfouAnzLrXQ[/video]
 
dougie;bt23 said:
Yes, I'm in Portland, OR. Our local track is Portland Int'l Raceway (PIR). It's been around since the late 1950's and has played host to the CART Series, American LeMans, Trans AM, Can AM, and many more.

I was in Mission BC last year to compete in the Bristish Columbia Historic Races at Rivers Edge Raceway, very tight course. Here's a view from behind the wheel.

[video=youtube;r5bac_ySW6E]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5bac_ySW6E&feature=share&list=UUKgBelHspm 4MhfouAnzLrXQ[/video]
Click to expand...

Doug - I'll show this to my 23-year old who knowing him will immediately start talking about his litre bike. However, from Dad's perspective - very neat. You obviously are having great fun racing the Healey. I'd like to have been in front with our GoPro facing backwards and maybe another camera on the track. Put them together and what a video.

Is your exhaust stock? Any engine modifications? Brakes and clutch stock, but maybe with such things as stainless wrapped hoses?
 
My '57 period prepared vintage racer is still street legal (barely) to drive on the public streets. It's equipped with all the go fast goodies needed to be competitive in the racing game. These performance upgrades are installed in such a manner that my car appears as you would seen at the track in the late '50's or early '60's. My goal is to always maintain a classic period correct look.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27357414@N02/7612444604/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27357414@N02/6386843561/
 
very nice collection of racers and drivers. I'm envious. Living in Vancouver we just don't have the space. Hence, ending up storing my Healey for 25-years! Only just now bringing it back to the road. Looking forward to getting wheels back on, a "shop-start" and successful test drive. Lovely images, immaculate work.
 
climbingshuksan;bt26 said:
very nice collection of racers and drivers. I'm envious. Living in Vancouver we just don't have the space. Hence, ending up storing my Healey for 25-years! Only just now bringing it back to the road. Looking forward to getting wheels back on, a "shop-start" and successful test drive. Lovely images, immaculate work.
Click to expand...

I love Vancouver BC, Robson St. and Stanley Park are 2 of my favorite places. I've spent hours at the market on Grand Island just taking in all the sights. Vancouver's a very beautiful city.
 
were lucky, a safe, highly diversified city. We climb Grouse Mountain on Sunday morning, drive home over Lions Gate bridge where we pass runners, bike riders, walkers, all looking anxiously below at people fishing, sailing or kayaking. Makes finding time for any one sport difficult. Cycling (as in a bike) is suffering because of the Healey, but right now the Healey is taking centre position - its been long in coming. I stumbled on a great shop space and tremendous mentor who is keeping the project moving. With good fortune (no surprises) we'll have the Healey on the road again in possibly a month. I downloaded a few of your images for reference, thanks for sharing.
 
Dougie - I just saw an old post of your showing your green healey with 72-spoke wheels. I have a lead on 5 - 72 spoke, 15", 5x Jaguar XKE (or S type) wire wheels. I'm not partial to the 72's only because I actually like the look of the 48's which I think my car came with. However, it has 4-60 spoke wires on it now, but the rear two are slightly wider than the two fronts making for a miss-match. The back two being a bit bigger than the fronts and of those one is chrome and the other painted silver. Think the Jag hubs would be the same as our Healey hubs?
 
Yes, my car had the stronger 72 spoke wheels on it when I purchased it and I still use them on occasion. For street use, the 60's are plenty strong. The Jag hubs should be the same you just need confirm the spline treads (course or fine) and make sure the 72's have the right off-set.
 
My vintage race season starts this weekend at Seattle's Pacific Raceway. SOVREN's Spring Sprints is the opener of the PNW vintage race schedule. http://www.sovren.org
 
dougie;bt32 said:
My vintage race season starts this weekend at Seattle's Pacific Raceway. SOVREN's Spring Sprints is the opener of the PNW vintage race schedule. http://www.sovren.org
Click to expand...

Turned out the hub diameter on the 72's were not the same as our Healey's so I passed on the wheels. I've since worked on the one problem wheel and got it looking very clean, primed and ready paint. It was an odd-ball on the car, a chrome rim. The remaining 3 are painted. When I painted the 3 wheels I should have tackled the chrome rim, but at the time I didn't think the chrome would work up as well as it did for painting. Once the wheel is finish coated all the tires go back on and we can roll the car out of the shop to paint the engine compartment - likely next week. With the engine bay done I'm on my last legs for putting all the components back on and a test Shop Start. Working at getting the car on the road for summer. Hopefully fired up and moving by end of May before being distracted by work.

I'll check out the track schedule and see if I can't match it up with a visit to a bother who lives just north of you in Washington. We want to get down with him to do some riding - I've got a Ducati and my son a 1L Yamaha. He's anxious to ride.
 
SOVREN's Spring Sprints went well for me and # 414. The weather was mixed with a little rain and sun, which made things on the track a bit interesting.... I lowered my best track time by 2 seconds however and most of the time I was just dancing with myself after leaving the other production base cars behind.

[video=youtube;XxjV-cjlJts]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxjV-cjlJts&feature=share&list=UUKgBelHspm4MhfouAnzLrXQ[/video]
 
great video Dougie! Nice. Couple of things - sensible racing, appears everyone is out for fun, good, safe driving. Seems to be thoughtful passing, lots of space between vehicles unless having to make the move past someone. Track looks fast, but lots of time in the upper gears.

Suggestion - two more GoPros. One giving you shots of your speedometer and tach, one mounted on the outer body of the car that you can mount maybe in two different places over two different runs (or more). Then with a quick program like something I use here - iMovie, piece together just a few clips from the secondary cameras to capture more of the action and suspense in the cockpit. Even one mounted on the track would be insanely nice especially if a buddy could get a few shot from two different curves.

I've met an interesting guy from our local gym (community centre) who is a retired cop - either from eastern Canada or England. He used to train other cops in driving "fast", but "slower", meaning learning to do it right. I said to Tom, once the Healey is back on the road we'll go to Whistler for some twisties and training. Maybe one day on our Mission track.
 
Thanks....Vintage racing is more about having fun then finishing first. I actually bought a new GoPro 3 for this event and planned to mount it on the exterior of the car. I left it on while testing however and the battery was dead and the charger was at home. I like your idea of mounting a camera on the gauges, I'll have to work on a plan for that. I use IMovie as well, here's something I put together after my trip to Road American last fall.

[video=youtube;JZbHmmNWs54]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZbHmmNWs54&feature=share&list=UUKgBelHspm 4MhfouAnzLrXQ[/video]

I still want to make it up to Whistler to go skiing someday.
 
That's the idea!

With two or more cameras you'd have enough cuts to really whip up your videos. For this video an idea would have been to insert say 6-8 second clips of your roadside camera shots into the longer footage, even duplicating a clip would work and using it some where along the main video line. iMovie is fun program because it is relatively easy to use, but even still you have to spend a bit of time experimenting. I used the old iMovie lots and really liked it, then went to iMovie 9. It changed a great deal, but now getting it down. Having said that I still have hurdles. I have lots of footage taken this year that for some reason is in a format that iMovie does not see. It prevented me from doing several planned videos. My alternative - which I have to say I really like is building a video from slides. The reason being a video to be really good needs a story line. With more than one camera your better able to build the story more so than a single camera.

Here's an example of a slideshow made into a movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xO7P4tE4DhA

One more suggestion - you may already have tried this, but watching the above video you'll see I've created motion - a video like effect, by applying what they call "Ken Burns Effect". That effect is an option in iMovie. It allows you to crop an image in a starting position and then scroll to an ending position in another that is selected by size and location. It's turns an otherwise good slideshow into something very interesting. For your single position race shots you could split the video track in say varying lengths of seconds then add the effect. A shot could begin by starting on a car in front of you then panning and cropping back to you. This is done using your existing footage. Not only are you already moving but the pan increases the sense of movement inside and outside the car. I'd have to play with it to see how it would work, but that's the idea.

Give it a try on one of our old videos. Duplicate an original project and mess with it. Have fun!

Doing final cleaning of the engine compartment today. Hoping to paint it by Sunday. Then engine parts go back on and I complete the front brake hydraulics. Test start in a few weeks unless work rears its head.

V
 
Wow, I like how you created a slide movie. I'll have to get out the pictures we took from our trip to Mirracha, Morocco last year and try that.

I just received notice that I've been accepted to the Rolex Monterey Historic Reunion this year at Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway. I'll have to get all my camera mounts figured out before that event. If I missing anything, maybe I can just watch it on the Speed Channels coverage of the event.
 
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