1963 Austin Healey barn find

Steve Carlton · 10-12-2012, 07:32 PM

Not so much a barn find as a lien sale for storage fees. A friend of mine offers storage for cars on a couple of floors of his store and one of the cars is going up for a lien sale pretty soon. The owner has stored the car there since 2001 and is now $11K in arrears on the fees. The car looks complete and a good candidate for restoration, but not for any of us. The plan is to acquire it at the lien sale (serious buyers not expected), get it running, then put it on eBay, BaT, or some Austin Healey websites. The odometer reads 78,900 miles, but nothing is known about the history. It will be interesting to see if it comes to life with fuel tank cleaned, fluids and battery changed, etc.

What do you think it's worth if it runs okay?

Hugh R · 10-12-2012, 07:54 PM

PM sent, like I need another piece of British trash. OK its what I know. Yes I'm stupid, I know that.

Steve Carlton · 10-12-2012, 08:05 PM

Hugh- was it you that had the old Astin Martin DB2 or something?

Hugh R · 08:32 PM

Aston Martin DB4

Yeah, sold it to the Prime Minister of Kuwait for stupid money. I miss it, but I look at my bank account and I get over it.

Joeaksa · 10-12-2012, 10:59 PM

If Hugh passes... let me know.

Like him, I know Brit cars and well... its like beating your head against a wall, it feels better when you stop. Oh yea, I still have some spare SU fuel pumps!

speeder · speeder's Garage

As for value, shouldn't be too hard to research. Since I'm not to familiar with the years and models, is that a 4-cylinder or 6-cyl. model? A-100 I assume?

lin7310948 · 12:56 AM

just take a look at ebay. also check out the completed listings as well. good examples are pricey and excellent examples are real pricey. lots of them dont seem to sell or even garner a bid other than the opening bid. if it is advertised for sale for whatever reason most likely there will be ....serious buyers very interested...in a mostly complete restorable example!!

LakeCleElum · 11:07 AM

I haven't tracked prices, but like said "Ebay completed"...When I bought my '60 Benz for a song, I found a website that tracked all selling prices, including Goodings and all of those...A simple Google search will lead the way..
I had a '59 100-6 in college....Later a '62 XKE Roadster.....Great cars to look at for sure......

Heel n Toe · 10-13-2012, 01:06 AM

Steve, look through the yellow pages in your area and ask around to find out who is one of the most respected British car mechanics. The guy will probably be 50-70 years old. Contact him and tell him you want to pay him to look at a car and advise you on how much it would/could cost to get it running and perhaps a reasonable estimate on its value.

That looks like a car that would be fun to fix mechanically, but leave the patina alone and just drive and enjoy it without being concerned about the odd door ding, wheel rash, etc.

Hemmings Sports and Exotic Car has been featuring a lot of beautiful old cars like that recently... original, not restored.

fred cook · fred cook's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by speeder

As for value, shouldn't be too hard to research. Since I'm not to familiar with the years and models, is that a 4-cylinder or 6-cyl. model? A-100 I assume?

If it is a 1963 as stated, it would most likely be a 3000 model with the 6 cylinder engine. The 4 cylinder Healeys were made from about 1954- 1957 (I think). If it
had been an early 100-4 it would be more valuable.

recycled sixtie · recycled sixtie's Garage

The heaviest clutch I have ever encountered, ground clearance about two pinkies and an exhaust note to die for.Uh....priceless.

Tobra · Tobra's Garage

Very nice, who paints a Healy brown? Looks like it started out red. Another red British sports car eh Hugh. You seem like such a sensible guy too

Steve Carlton · 10-13-2012, 05:27 AM

It says 3000 Mk III on the back of the car and it's certainly a 6-cylinder. I didn't check to see if it's a 2+2 and the dash looks like an older, pre-wood version. Obviously an expert could sort it out, but even so, I don't know how much it affects the value.

I know the pictures aren't great- they were taken with my cell phone in a fairly dark room. It's not patina on the car- it's a crummy repaint to a weird brown color that is completely faded. Completed listings on eBay are 95% sales that didn't go through for cars in much nicer condition. My guess is it's worth $5-10K.

304065 · 10-13-2012, 06:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hugh R

PM sent, like I need another piece of British trash. OK its what I know. Yes I'm stupid, I know that.

You finally got the oil spots off the garage floor, but discovered you miss them?

vonsmog · 10-13-2012, 06:40 AM

Having had six big Healey's and still own my first car (59' A-H 100-6) I would think the above car is worth at least $15k if it is not rotted out. It looks like it is quite complete and original other than the steering wheel and paint. Once done, they are a real joy to drive, and a great summer car. I'm sure someone will pick it up and bring it back to its glory!

Joeaksa · 10-13-2012, 06:52 AM

Believe that its a BN-7 model, the two carb six cylinder model.

Brakes are almost worthless, clutch is very stiff but the exhaust sound almost makes up for it.

I owned a -67 Healey years ago and loved it but then am a glutton for punishment.

The prices shown on Ebay are silly and the two 1963 models have undergone a full frame up restoration, so their value is nothing close to the car in this thread. Check on Craigs-list or the like for non-restored cars and go from there. This car will require a total restoration on everything Hyd on it, brakes, clutch and so at a minimum then see what leaks/is broken and go from there.

Joe Bob · Joe Bob's Garage

Spoiler alert, Lucas Electrical STILL sucks 50 years later....just sayin'....

Laneco · 10-13-2012, 07:27 AM

I never look at a Healey without thinking of my friend Dan.

This is Dan and his car. I've driven this car (six with two carbs) and it was a flawless running car. Not fast by any means, but it did run and drive with zero issues and dead on reliability. It was a driver quality restoration in the original colors, good top etc.

Dan paid $25K for it as it sits in this picture (price and pic 3 or 4 years ago).

angela

erosinc · 10-13-2012, 08:33 AM

How long did the owner not pay the rent? $11k is fee's, about 9 years of the 11 it been stored?
That warehouse is in Richmond right?

BE911SC · 10-13-2012, 08:35 AM

Learned to drive in my dad's '67. I was with him when he bought it new and I remember as he eased it out of the showroom and onto the avenue. Teak dash and wheel, radio delete, overdrive. Exhaust note was wonderful, especially climbing through 3rd and deep into 4th up to 100 or so. Almost always a faint plume of gray carbon in the exhaust when winding it up--carefully and gradually--in the RPM.

Early '68, S.F. east bay: