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The people you meet when owning a healey....

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drambuie

drambuie

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Not long ago I took my 67 bj8 out for a drive on a cold afternoon, I decided to stop at a speedway gas station for a toasted sub sandwich and a hot cup of coffee to take on my drive in the country. As I approached my healey, I noticed a old gentleman at the rear of my car on his knees looking straight down my exhaust pipes....... He took no notice of me at first.....Then looked up and said....I am in total shock to see a Austin healey again! It has been 43 years since I have seen a healey on the road and just had to touch it and know it was real! Then this old gentleman eyes began to tear as he told me he was a former air force pilot, And back in the day he drove a Austin healey he kept parked at his base. He and his fellow pilots all owned British sports cars. Triumphs, mg's and healeys, They would trade them off to each other and race them from the air force base to the nearest town down long stretches of country roads at very high speeds.....He smiled and said, The healey was always the fastest of the bunch and was his favorite. After talking for more then a hour about his wild stories...We traded phone numbers, He asked me to help him find another healey! But couldn't remember if he drove the 100 or 3000. He became so moved and thanked me over and over for taking time to show him the sports car that brought back so many great memories. Then said..... Sorry for making your coffee and sandwich get cold! I will never forget that look in this genleman eyes, Made me realize how blessed I am to own a rich piece of sports car history, But I always knew that!
 
The statement that it had been 43 years since he had seen a Healey on the road, reflects poorly on Austin Healey owners who are obviously NOT driving their cars.

I drive mine several times a week and have not seen a Healey on the road for 10 years.

Live in Columbus Ohio and have a local club too!

To each his own I guess???

Pete
 
Thanks, I was glad to share this story. I agree, People just don't drive there old British cars enough! I bought my 1967 bj8 from the original owners son, Not long after his father passed away.... His son did not seem to have much interest in it and sold it to me with only 39,000 miles on it! His father bought it new in Spain and had it shipped to the states in 1968 on a Spanish freighter, The son gave me all the original Spanish shipping documents signed and sealed as well as the original dealer papers. The owners son then told me, If I look hard enough, I would find a old 8 track tape player tucked way under the dash, Sure enough I did! I checked the glove box to find a old 8 track tape still there and also a old newspaper clipping with a picture of the original owner, Seemed he was a high ranking union boss at the Indiana steel mills. I found all the original tools, jack, battery cover, tonnue and hood cover still packed in the boot. Even the factory yellow chalk markings are still written on the left side of the boot floor, reading....67 yea they dont drive them enough, Lucky me!
 
Yep :iagree:

I was in San Diego close to Del Mar and wanted to stop for the night.I noticed the hotel had covered and open psrking spaces. I asked the clerk if I could park in one of the covered spaces she said sure, as I was manuvering the Healey in place a Genteleman in a suit said "HEY!! don't psrk there
follow me." What now I thought? He led me to a garage took his brand new car out told me to park in there and handed me the keys.
 
Took a high-perf driving class at Miller Motorsports a couple years ago. We had a rain delay and when I told the instructors I needed to put the hood up on my Healey they said 'bring it inside!' They didn't even mind the oil spot:


6900576216_7f416e62c6_b.jpg
 
drambuie said:
Not long ago I took my 67 bj8 out for a drive on a cold afternoon...
Click to expand...

What a GREAT story in your intital post. As I read it, however, one thing kept grating on me. Maybe its just me being picky or worse... A jerk! But in the subject line of your post and in your story, you mentioned the name of the car SEVEN times and not once did you spell the name of the car correctly.

You capitalized the name "Austin", but failed to capitalize the name "Healey". The name of the car and the man who produced it is capital "H" e a l e y.

I would think that if you really respect, even revere, the car as much as you profess to that you would make the effort to spell its name properly.

Look at your car. The proper name is there... Just above the grille.

If it's ME... I hope others will let me know.

Tim
 
others will let me know.
:savewave:
Tim




Yep Tim you MUST JUST BE having a bad day.---KEOKE--- :laugh:
 
Tim, Don't be so tiny.... I did not make a mistake in spelling, H is h no matter how you cut it! I have a good (EDJAMACATION) I think Mr Healey would be very pleased as to the way i have preserved his car! I don't worship the man! I simply respect him! I am living in Bali Indonesia these days, A very relaxed and exotic place indeed! Mmmmmm Maybe i need to invite you here for a little relaxing and attitude adjustment.... And tip toe through the tulips with meeeeeeeeee
 
I was parked outside a store in my BJ7 and a lady in her sixties came over and said that she had one when she was in South Africa and what a great car it was. She waited for me to start it up and was revelling in the sound so much that when she reversed out of her parking space she gently collided with a passing car. - ooops!

I saw her about a week later and enquired as to the state of affairs and apparently there was no harm done in the collision - lucky lady.

:cheers:

Bob
 
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