"The Eliminator" on ebay

[HealeyRick]

Make sure to check out the story from "Healey Happenings" in the pictures that shows it as holding the record for a stock Healey with a 14.8/ 94 mph 1/4 mile: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Austin-Hea...tr=true&hash=item33a1db93cc&item=221758854092

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Wow. I hope whoever buys it doesn't 'restore' it ... that paint job is da bomb (and good panel fit to boot). A Healey rat rod.

OK to fix the fender spears, though.

 

[HealeyRick]

Wow. I hope whoever buys it doesn't 'restore' it ... that paint job is da bomb (and good panel fit to boot). A Healey rat rod.

OK to fix the fender spears, though.

I'm not a big fan of ratty "patina", but it might be cool to leave as is and have a sign painter reproduce the original livery on top.

 

[Gearhead_Garage]

So that is the world's fastest stock Healey, a 14.8 @ 94! I wonder what the typical car will do. My butt dyno says mine would be in the 15s. I've had her well over 100 but it did take a while to get there.

Kinda sad that our sports cars can get schooled by a mini van! ;-(

 

[HealeyRick]

Found these numbers for a standard Mk I 3000 - 0-60 11.5 sec 1/4 mi 17.3 https://www.zeroto60times.com/vehicle-make/austin-healey-0-60-mph-times/

 

[Gearhead_Garage]

Yikes that's slower than my 1.6L Miata. I guess I'll have to make a couple of runs with the old Traqmate and see what it will do.

 

[DerekJ]

What is the definition of a 'stock' Healey? Isn't that a pretty fast time for the quarter? I doubt a stock Healey could do that. My car has twice the power of a stock Healey and I was planning to do a 'run what you brung' later this month just to see what mine could do. The Goodwood accident has put paid to that idea though.

Great car though, I really like the rat look.

 

[HealeyRick]

The "Healey Happenings" article says it was bored 60 over, balanced and with HD8 carbs. Guessing it had headers, too. Using a 1/4 mile calculator and assuming the car dropped 100 lbs from stock weight, it would need 147 hp to turn those times.

 

[Gearhead_Garage]

In the US where 400hp V8s still roam the planet, a 14.8 second quarter mile is not considered fast, just adequate. The stock 17.3 second quarter would be considered slow.

A stock BJ8 is supposed to have nearly 150 crank hp (if you believe the specs) and weight 2550 lbs dry (source WikiPedia). Assuming the 150 is real and the running weight with fluids and a 175 lb driver is 2800 lbs, that would equate to a 16.3 second ET which is more like what I would expect. This assumes 17% driveline loss and the Healey with O/D may have higher losses.

My car has a mild cam, is bored .30 over, and decked slightly. I am sure it is a bit heavier than stock (more insulation) but still 16 - 17 feels like the right number. I will have to find a flat straight road and verify this.

 

[David Townsend]

Pretty darn cool. I'm okay with cars that have some patina to them but this one looks like it passed the patina stage some time ago. I think it would be a great historical restoration. Pretty cool he bought it as his daily driver then converted to a race car.

 

[Randy Forbes]

I'm not a big fan of ratty "patina", but it might be cool to leave as is and have a sign painter reproduce the original livery on top.

What is the definition of a 'stock' Healey? Isn't that a pretty fast time for the quarter? I doubt a stock Healey could do that. My car has twice the power of a stock Healey and I was planning to do a 'run what you brung' later this month just to see what mine could do. The Goodwood accident has put paid to that idea though.

Great car though, I really like the rat look.

I love how we can all get along here__is it just because we're old, errr I mean mature, or are we, as a collective whole, just a bunch of really great guys?!?!

I'm not a fan of the rat look either__unless you're talking about a textbook example of an early '30s slammed coupe out of SoCal__and too much patina just looks like a lack of proper care and upkeep to me.

I've already had my share of daily-driven, clapped-out MGBs & GTs, back when it might require replacing a broken leaf-spring with one from a parts car, or rebuilding a distributor after work, just so I could drive it back to keep my job the next morning. Not as long ago as you might think...

Spending money on things like a new interior kit, a paint job, or new/reconditioned wire-wheels wasn't even a remote possibility. I was lucky to be able to buy a replacement top when I needed one! Though I always did place a high importance on having good tires (175/80 x 14 Pirelli P3s were only something like $42.00 apiece in the 70s).

My point is, I finally reached a secure enough spot in life where I can afford to drive a nice finished-looking car, and I wouldn't want anyone feeling sorry for me if they saw me driving a Healey (or anything else) that was in the same state as The Eliminator!

Here's to

 

[HealeyRick]

Randy,

My idea of "patina" is a well-maintained original car with some worn in seats, paint thinned out by years of polishing ... but not something with rust, dents and crappy repaints. Think of a nicely worn-in baseball mitt. That's my idea of patina. Unfortunately, the latest hot market seems to be "barn finds" that seem to be the stuff we pushed into the barn when it just wasn't worth fixing anymore. I think the interesting thing about "The Eliminator" is that guys were drag racing relatively "stock" Healeys back in the day and not just the Norm Cowdrey type car:

 

[David Townsend]

Love it!

 

[Patrick67BJ8]

I love how we can all get along here__is it just because we're old, errr I mean mature, or are we, as a collective whole, just a bunch of really great guys?!?!

I'm not a fan of the rat look either__unless you're talking about a textbook example of an early '30s slammed coupe out of SoCal__and too much patina just looks like a lack of proper care and upkeep to me.

I've already had my share of daily-driven, clapped-out MGBs & GTs, back when it might require replacing a broken leaf-spring with one from a parts car, or rebuilding a distributor after work, just so I could drive it back to keep my job the next morning. Not as long ago as you might think...

Spending money on things like a new interior kit, a paint job, or new/reconditioned wire-wheels wasn't even a remote possibility. I was lucky to be able to buy a replacement top when I needed one! Though I always did place a high importance on having good tires (175/80 x 14 Pirelli P3s were only something like $42.00 apiece in the 70s).

My point is, I finally reached a secure enough spot in life where I can afford to drive a nice finished-looking car, and I wouldn't want anyone feeling sorry for me if they saw me driving a Healey (or anything else) that was in the same state as The Eliminator!

Here's to

"is it just because we're old, errr I mean mature"....calling some of us mature might be taken as an insult(LOL). I remember buying used wire wheels because the $40 for a new one was out of my budget. Thoughts of shag carpet in the black color come to mind. Great water/oil absorbing material.

 

[roscoe]

I had a nice exchange a while back. I was stopped at a light in the Healey and a rat rod pick-up pulled up next to me. Flat head V8 fully exposed,chopped, channeled and who knows what else, it just looked really unique. The rust finish on it looked so good I had to stare to see if it was real or real artwork. The guy driving was even older than me, big grey beard, funky hat and shades. He caught me looking over and as I prepared for him to smuggly look away he smiled and said "nice car man". "Yours too" was all I could say before the light changed. I really wanted to tell him what a thing of beauty he had. Different strokes.....