Austin Healy 100-6/3000 V8 conversion
 

Anyone here have any experience with these? I have the opportunity to pick one of these up, it's a 59, so it could be a 100-6, or a 3000 depending on production date. It has a new Pace Performance ZZ4 350, coupled to a 63 Vette 4 speed. It turns out that I've known about this car for 40 years, but lost touch with it. It was bought in 75 by a guy who was dating my best friend's sister, and I remember it having a Vette motor as well. Same guy still owns it, and just put it up for sale.

I'm going to check it out this week, and was wondering if anyone has a source for an approximate valuation, since I can find nothing current on line.

Thanks.

I restored a BJ8 about 20 years ago. Here is the gist of the opening paragraph in the restoration manual:

"Do not align the body panels (hood, fenders, and doors) until the drivetrain is installed. The frame is so weak it flexes and the engine is an integral part of the structural rigidity of the chassis...you will not see significant chassis rust as the drivetrain leaks so much oil that it acts as a natural rust preventative."

That said, I did find rust! But for you more importantly are chassis reinforcements (welded in strengthening members) to enable it to handle the torque of that zz4 engine. Good luck and I hope it's a 100. Love those cars!

Do be aware that it kills the value of the car! I have a 59' 100-6 that is all stock. It was my first car and never had the heart to sell it. But I should have let it go, and hung on to the ex factory 100M race car that I had. Sold it to buy a 75' 911S.

I'm totally aware of the value issue. I'm normally a stickler for stock and original, but this just seems deviant enough to be interesting.

I'm assuming since it's been around (and used) for 40+ years, I would think it would be a fun car - depending on price. They don't seem to be in much demand compared with the stock ones which bring a nice price. Check out that the rear end has been updated also and look at the rear springs to see if they are set up to handle the power. I can't comment on the 3000's with V8s, but I put a corvette in a '56, 100-4 in the '60s. The V8 weighed 50 lbs. less than the 4 banger tractor engine that came out. It was really fun to get in, turn the key, push the start button and hear the V8 fire up. Driving was good, except I had to solve the problem of keeping the engine temp down, which I'm assuming is Ok in the car you're looking at. As a young guy at the time, I didn't have the money to put a different trans & differential in it so had an adaptor plate for the engine to hook up the trans. I was careful not to put too much strain on the drive train, but it would really get up & go. It also had the electric overdrive, which was nice.

I had a '59 100-6 in college....It had side curtains. I could be wrong, but thinking 3000's have roll up windows? Vin would tell the story.

I would prefer it with the V-8 and just keep in mind what the frame, brakes and suspension were designed for.

These were and dime a dozen in their day; but it's rare to find one now with the conversion. I'm 1/2 looking for an XKE with a V8 conversion as a cheap way to get back into a game I should have never gotten out of.

Value? Thinking $20K or so if no big rust issues? Clean stock ones are $60K and up these days.....

I know someone who did exactly that. He's owned the car for about 40-45 years now, I think he bought it out of a junkyard long ago and then put a 327 and powerglide in it. I'm not sure if it has a 350 or LS now since we were last talking transmissions, but it's mated to a 700-r4 and goes 0 to 60 in the 2 second range, 100 in 5 and gets over 20mpg while in overdrive. With drag slicks it would hop up on the rear wheels (car also had casters near the bumper) and was an absolute riot to ride in. With normal rear wheels it's street legal and can be driven around town like a normal car.

Is there anything specific you're curious about? What you're talking about doing is definitely doable. I'm not sure what stiffening he's done, but the interior still looks basically stock and the only bodywork I know was needed was some fiberglass to accommodate much larger rear wheels. The front wheels and fenders were still stock.

I had one, the assend liked to chase the front with any hard acceleration in a turn or water on the road. I can imagine what an American V8 would do. Be careful.

healey v8
 

i have a 63 bj7 with a 383 sbc roller motor and 200r4 aod transmission. email me and i will try to answer your questions....overheating/cooling is usually a problem. four speed without overdrive is a problem with healey stock gearing...3.90, 4.11 on the interstate... frame should be checked closely. etc etc usually the foot boxes have been altered to accomadate the width of the v8. if this has not been well done it makes for a very hot cabin even with no top. also healeys used a single brake system instead of a dual master cylinder.. certainly be aware of that. and as a note, healey parts are quite expensive or so it seemed to me... http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1441734825.jpghttp://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1441734876.jpg

It would be cool (and worth more) if you could back-date the 350 with older heads (no accessory bolt holes or bosses cast into the heads) and carb/intake/ignition, etc., and make the conversion, the whole car, look circa 1962.

a buddy built a older A-H he got from a junk/yard mid 60's
came with no motor
so he put a 283 that was built to race but cheap as everyone wanted 327's
think it had a vett 4 speed and posie rear maybe all from the same car
when he cut the fender/wheelwell to fit wider tyres
he said it cut like butter
the car was a 100mc race car with alloy body
raced hard many years motor blown and junked

I bet he did not have $1000 in that car total
but did the work himself +buddys
but ran sub 13 sec quarter
and won far more then the car cost to build
saw it beat a street hemi and a 427 vett
but that was down to a bumpie road out in the farm fields + multi car spot
that the big blocks just couldnot hook up on
plus it was his picked road to run on
and he was a very good driver/shifter

the car if restored was worth 100k in the early 90's
250k a few years ago
what today maybe 1/2m ?

no idea how much the swap hurts value today
but I would rather have the v8 then the tractor motor

btw there is a repli-car call a sebring that got v8's and a glass body

Well, step 1 complete. The seller sent some pics, and I go to see it Friday. It's a 100-6.

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Oh my... that looks slow!

Jump on it if the price is right and problems are at a minimum. I'd jump on it if I had the chance.

For me that is a shame, that is a BN-6 which is one of 248 made I think. It is the two seater, does not have the jump seats in the back. I have the same car, only stock.

i sold my stock 1959 bn6 two seater about six months ago.....just to slow for me! the longer i owned it the more i could see a v8 in the engine compartment! better sense prevailed and i sold it to a gentleman in new jersey. back in the day these conversions were almost the norm but not anymore. of course i kept the v8 bj7http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1441821708.jpg

From what I found this morning, approx. 3,900 were made. But still a shame, since a stock original is worth some serious shekels.

i believe that it was the 1962 bn7 two seater with triple sus that was in such limited numbers....they are really pricey!

Wow Dave. Gorgeous car. That tight engine compartment looks like it should be owned by someone with Porsche experience.

as the owner of a healey v8 conversion as well as a v8 911 there is much more engine compartment room in the 911. and, the 911 makes for a much better platform especially suspension and braking. but those healeys if done right are fun to drive and most eye appealing!

Sorry, I should have been more specific, There were only about 248 BN6's made in 1959. They stopped making the 100-6 in March of that year. Retooled and then started up in May with the 3000.

david passed on the healey but i had asked for the info if he did not buy the car...closed the deal to buy the healey yesterday....now to get it from new jersey to south carolina. thanks david for the information...lots of work to do especially to the footboxes and firewall area.

Larry, no problem. I'm glad to see that it's going to a good home. Have fun with it.

Are you sure that isn't one of those Classic Motor Carriages Sebring MX kit cars they used to make in Miami? The flairs look similar.

no it is a real 100-6 with way over done flares. i had a sebring kit car and even their flares looked much better. im hoping that the fenders can be reclaimed by removing the flares which are fiberglass.. i dont know if the regular healey fenders were cut before adding. im afraid that they were. might get lucky though!

What Larry said. I test drove it, crawled around under it, and it was the real deal. No replica crude, but original British crude.

the healey was delivered yesterday afternoon. and, i was surprised that it was in much better condition than i thought. the frame looks good....the v8 conversion seems done very well, etc......but, as i knew from david the footboxes are a mess and will require considerable time and effort to correct. and, the flares! though well done they are going to have to be modified or removed.....that will be a much later part of bring the car back to more of an original healey look! a couple of pictures. the old school wooden dash and gauges will also have to be replaced!http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1444650537.jpg
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Those flares are an eye sore!!
FI ls swap in the future, or going to stay carb'ed?

Neat car, thanks for the update.

I'm far from a wine and cheese guy but like you said, those flares... :)

Good luck making it what you want.

Cool you got the A H. Lin. Will be fun watching it come together.

Yep the flairs are a bit much. Does add a bit of muscularity tho.
And there is a need for the larger tires with the V8.

Perhaps they can be reduced in size and faired better into the body.

Check out the progression of the Cobra into the big block beast it became.
Or our own 930s.

Cheers Richard

How much do you need to worry about the car twisting from more torque than it was ever designed for?

On a different note, I had a '65 MK III. It was so nose heavy that it had relatively sudden, strong oversteer in slippery corners--even with its modestly powered 6-cyl truck engine. I assume that this one will do the same. Worth watching out for as you ease into driving it someday.

I parted out two 59' 100-6's and have a bunch of parts, including a dash! let me know if you need anything.

Boy I really like the dash that is in the car. Nice piece of wood, clean installation . Guess it should be more burly.
Are you going for originality ? Seems a stretch for this car.
More resto mod is what I see.

Have fun with it, please keep us posted on progress.

Cheers Richard

lots were done like that back in the day but i plan to replace with a stock healey dash with speedhut gauges. i did that to my other healey and i really like the look and especially the gps speedometer. most like will remove the flares and return to a more stock healey appearance....http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1444745975.jpg

here is my reinterpretation of the car....more healey like in appearance. not quite done but i am driving...daily! surprisingly the steering and suspension are very tight. the previous owner had owned the car since early seventies and seldom drove the car and kept it garaged. i do wish that the aluminum fenders fit better...guess i will leave that up to the body shop......when i decde to have it painted! thanks to david for the leads on the car!http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1483111144.jpg
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If you're looking for another one:

No Reserve: 1959 Austin Healey 100-6 V8 Project | Bring a Trailer

Just a little work left to make it perfect!