• Hi Guest!
    If you appreciate British Car Forum and our 25 years of supporting British car enthusiasts with technical and anicdotal information, collected from our thousands of great members, please support us with a low-cost subscription. You can become a supporting member for less than the dues of most car clubs.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

V8 powered Healey

Share this page

Re: V8 powered Healey

Yes, I too spoke with Mr. Healey on several occasions. His words to me were "anything you can do to make these cars better, do it. We had a budget to adhere to and as a result we were limited to what we could do." Donald did in fact bump into the Nash guy on a ship while coming to the US to approach Cadillac about using there V8 engine. The Nash guy told him Cadillac couldn't keep up production for their own line and would likely not be open to supplying Healey. He did offer to do someting with Healey if he couldn't work out something with Cadillac. Kinda the short story of the Nash-Healey.
 
Re: V8 powered Healey

I understand that Carrol Shelby approached Healey about developing a V8 powered version. He wasn't successful but went on to make arrangements with AC and used their Ace as a based for deriving the Cobra.
 
Re: V8 powered Healey

nevets, your from mass,well if ya want to see the result of some good old fashion yanky {and southern}engineering reg.V/8 powerd healeys,dont know if youve ever been there,but check out "nasty boys"on the web,modified healeysn neat stuff! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif
 
Re: V8 powered Healey

I believe that Shelby did approach Healey in that regard. By that time Healey was having a hard time keeping up production numbers to pull any chassis off the line to supply Shelby.
I did own a 283 powered 62 BN7 for a while. It was VERY FAST. A mild 283 produced more than enough power. 0 to 60 under 5 seconds. I loved that car.
the last I heard the guy who bought it from me had a bit of a carb fire and it has been parked in a warehouse for years.
 
Re: V8 powered Healey

Jollyroger:
If you are keeping this one in the barn for a better time for you, good luck; BUT, if you know where it is I would be interested in a purchase especially if I could get a history.
Thanks in advance.
 
Re: V8 powered Healey

vettedog72,

I am the web master for the Modified Austin Healey Registry.
www.ntahc.org/modifiedhealeys

If you are looking for a V8 Healey, we have several members who have cars for sale.

Check the web site - www.ntahc.org/modifiedhealeys

There are also a couple that are not on the web page.

If you have any questions, my Email is at the bottom of the homepage.

Tim Moran - Car # 1
 
Re: V8 powered Healey

You might try and find Dr. Bradley Perkins. Last I heard he was still with the CDC in Atlanta. The car was a 1962 european issue BN7 with extra tail and front blinker lights(the little ones, not the big later lights) and locking steering colume. Only made 7 of em like that.
Good lock finding him. I did a few years back.
 
Re: V8 powered Healey

Jolly, Tell me your not saying that you put a chevy v8 into a 62 bn7 that they only produced 7 for the european market! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif
 
Re: V8 powered Healey

Naw man, I got it that way. I wasn't even looking to buy one. Went to look at it thinking it was gonna to be another butcher job. You know goin for a laugh. It was such a great job(best I have ever seen) and the car was rust free and never crashed that I bought it. Used the money I was saving for a house. I probably would not have used that car if it were up to me, but since it was done....hey what a car. I sold it to get the house a few years later. Donald Healey liked it, said so himself. He didn't worship the cars, he liked em fast. Would have been worth more with the tri-carb engine in it. It is not butchered, one day maybe someone...not me will change it back. It even has the nifty steel wheels instead of the wobbly wires. I really loved that car.
 
Re: V8 powered Healey

Jolly Roger, Sounds like it's a great car. I like em if they are
not hacked up. Ive been restoring a bn7 tri carb for the past 2 years (even has the disc wheels you mentioned)
Be cool......Blueridge 1
 
Back
Top