I am currently restoring a very low mileage and virtually rust free 1956 Austin Healey 100 BN2. Having this chance to disassemble such an original car has presented me with a unique opportunity to study construction details which, at least in this part of the world, are usually lost to the ravages of rust. For […]
Displayed in the lobby at Enclave 2022 were some enlargements of photographs of Len Lord and Donald Healey at the 1952 Earls Court Motor Show taken, reputedly, shortly after they had consummated the deal for the Healey 100 to be manufactured by The Austin Motor Company as the Austin-Healey 100. These were wonderful historic photos […]
When I first got my very early Austin Healey 100, B.#174, on the road after its total frame up restoration I was very pleased that the engine was virtually free of oil leaks however, after a few hundred miles, it started to exhibit the “usual” oil leaks for which these engines are so notorious. Although […]
Adjusting the brakes and getting all the air out of the hydraulic brake system to produce a “hard” pedal can be particularly difficult when dealing with the all drum systems of 100 and 100/6 Austin Healeys. Here are tips that I have found make the job a little easier. CHECK THE ARC OF THE BRAKE […]
BN1 GEARBOX GEAR IDENTIFICATION There are essentially 2 types of gear sets for the BN1 gearbox because, in an attempt to improve durability of the gearbox, BMC changed the pressure and helix angles of both the input shaft gear and the 3rd gear (and of course their mating gears on the laygear) in later gearboxes. […]
After the concours inspections at Enclave 2015 in Gettysburg, PA I managed to catch the last few minutes of a tech session presented by Ken Beck of K & T Vintage Sports Cars of Allentown, PA on the dreaded “Scuttle Shake” so common to Austin Healeys. The solution proposed in this presentation was to shave […]
During the final weeks of the restoration of my early Austin Healey 100 it became apparent that acquisition of original style batteries was going to become a major problem. The only “acceptable” batteries for a concours car are original “Lucas” 6 volt 17L “tar-top” batteries. I had acquired a pair of originals with a view […]
After having all the original Smith’s instruments in my latest Austin Healey restoration entirely rebuilt I was rather disappointed to discover that the fuel gauge reading was so erratic that it was difficult to know just how much fuel I had unless I stopped the car and waited for the fuel in the tank to […]
Recently Bob Yule of Autofarm Ltd was kind enough to allow me to take a close look at a very early 1954 Austin Healey 100, with only 5300 miles on it from new, that he had in his shop for service. One does not often get the chance to examine such an original car close […]
