Which austin healey considered the best....

[Patrick67BJ8]

Hear, hear. This describes me, except that it wasn't that I didn't feel comfortable with racing; I was put off by the staggering cost of every aspect of it and could see it as a bottomless money pit all for the privilege of distantly following other racers with tens of thousands of dollars worth of cheater-mods and driven by people who got a 40-50 year head start in developing their driving skills. If you think a concours restoration is expensive, just wait until you prep (and repair and maintain, and repair and upgrade, and repair and maintain, and...) a race car.



I did several clubs' required racing schools or "HPDE" (High-Performance Driver Education) events, plus one of the big-bucks racing schools in Spec-Ford racers. I had the fastest lap time of anyone in the big-buck course who hadn't done the course before or wasn't already a racer just there for a refresher, but I found that it just didn't thrill me. It was somewhat amusing, but certainly no big deal, and I suppose that if you don't get a thrill from driving a single-seat race car, it's unlikely that a Bugeye - a heavier, slower car - is going to be a thrill either.




It seemed that everything to do with racing was unjustifiably expensive. My impression is that there is a MAJOR gouge going on. I suppose they figure that if you have enough money to go racing, you have enough money to pay 5-10 times a reasonable price for things. Normal rear-view mirror for your Bugeye: $25. "Racing" rear-view mirror for your Bugeye race car: $295.




Between the car acquisition and prep, the clothes/driving helmet, and the schools, I dropped a pretty big wad to discover that vintage racing wasn't for me. But I made the decision to cut my losses before it got any worse, and with no regrets (except that I didn't cut my losses sooner). I do, however, really enjoy race photography, so that's my participation in that hobby.

I learned a valuable lesson watching Gumball Rally...

Franco: And now my friend, the first-a rule of Italian driving. [Franco rips off his rear-view mirror and throws it out of the car]
Franco: What's-a behind me is not important.

Reid...so go ahead and save yourself $295.00!!

 

[andrea]

Which austin healey to get or are they all good. Are any real clunkers.

As owner of a 100/6 with a moderately souped up engine, I can confirm that it is a very fun a nice car for tourism and race - But Frog eyed sprite, with 1275 cc engine, and front disk, and Weber, is my
choice for pure racing, easy to work on it and easy to unload the front with a carbon fiber hood (don't forget to open two slots for disks cooling), very fun neutral fast cornering car

 

[RA_Healey]

To go racing you first have to have a passion of wanting to do it. If you don't, you can stand on the sidelines and watch.

Throw common sense of racing on a budget because using used worn out parts equals DNS's and DNF's. You break on a Friday or Saturday morning you have wasted all time, effort and expense of getting there. I have been vintage racing for 27 years. In the beginning I raced on a shoe string and was always working on it. Once I got a little more money got better parts. I raced an A-series motor Mini variant. Professionally built motor with a billet crank and prepared race head, the car became very reliable on the track.

I now have a 61 Healey BT7 Mk I and put almost the best of the best in to it. I have 4 races with it and other than a learning curve on the driving end, it has run very well. The times are coming down but over the years everyone seems to be getting faster. I you are out to race to win, then you will have to spend every penny you can afford and then you will probably not go fast enough, if you want to win.

I race to have fun with the car, developing and looking to get faster but frankly 1/2 of the racing has to do with the socializing one experiences racing with the same friends, meeting new ones over the years.

So the best car, whatever your budget can afford. Who knows you buy a car and you may not even like it.

Most bang for the buck, 1275 cc Sprite that someone else has prepared and spent all the time and money which they are selling less than what they have in to it. You will have a blast with it especially on the shorter tracks.

But there is nothing like a big Healey 2912 cc engine.

Your 6'4" frame in either one will be tight.

You would fit great in to a Datsun 240Z and would spend way less than running a big Healey.