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Wow, 100-4!
I've had some seat time and fun experiences in a '56 100-Le Mans.
A mentor and now long time friend of mine had a post production, factory conversion car, between about 1992 and 1999/2000.
I cut my "detailing" teeth taking care of his Healy and '65 356C.
I also learned to drive a manual trans. in the Healy among other cars.
Each year in August the cars would be made ready for spirited drives up from Southern California to Monterey for the Historic races. We hauled tents and camp gear up to Laguna Seca raceway and called it home for a few nights.
The Healy did have its quirks...don't drive it for 6 months? Guess what, you don't have any brakes and get to rebuild the wheel cylinders...
One year(1993) we made it as far as the fire station on highway 68 (just before the camping entrance on that side of the track), we stopped to regroup and hide 3 "campers" under tarped trailers to avoid the $40.00 camp fee... (I was 15 YO and thought this was funny daring stuff, LOL)
The Healy wouldn't re-start, it was flooded!
I learned about the stuck float and "whack it (carb. float bowl) with a shoe" trick in auto shop...guess what, it really works. Makes me laugh to say I've done it!
A few years later the owner had new "custom laced" wire wheels made up for the car by Dayton Wire Wheel. He's more than a weekend spirited driver and had had wheel issues in the past.
The Healy made it up the coast but not all the way back that year. Got a ride on a flat bed home from around Coalinga Ca off the 198. Seems that all but 18-20 spokes were broken on 3 of the wheels!
The Healy was generally fun. The Monterey runs were fun, but always hotter than hell...the firewall was mostly a heater blowing hot air on you across the Central CA Valley. Nothing like 100* ambient plus 125* "heater" blowing on you for miles.
Good times! Thanks for bringing back memories!😃
As others have said, make sure he's ready for some quirks and potential projects!
Cooper
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