Austin-HealeyÂ’s and the Austin Healey Car Club of NZ and Others

[Oldfart]

Kev, make it like your own old car. I will ensure you can compete! (Still have some influence ) I hope to see you in May. To hell with buying technology, downport your own, just like you did way back when, it's beyond time you got recognition for that.

[Kevin Hirst]

They ran a lot better in 3-litre form...

And if you want to cheat (depending on how 'loose' the rules are) you can get a bit more out of a 1962 or later head. Better yet, out of a Healey 12-port head. And enhance the handling by going to an alloy head.

My old A90 was bored out to 3LTR. moded head with 3 carb's & cam, went well, will not be doing any meck mod's at present just cosmetic as zink based chrome & bumpers are not good, have removed bumpers alreay & looks much better, mag wheels perhaps, jeep will fit but not sure yet, don't want to do it wrong.

[Kevin Hirst]

Kev, make it like your own old car. I will ensure you can compete! (Still have some influence ) I hope to see you in May. To hell with buying technology, downport your own, just like you did way back when, it's beyond time you got recognition for that.

Thank's Rhys, just need to get roadworthy at moment, reg on hold so very little to do, will then look for cyl, head etc, need's a bit of time on repaint but not sure if I will get away with bumpers removed, does look better without them, look forward to seeing you in may, regard's

[Ray Bell]

Jeep will fit? I think not...

The Austins have a 5" PCD, Jeeps were 5.5" in period, they came down to 4.5" some time in the eighties I think. I don't know of any 5".

Rover were 5", I think some Jaguars were, Austin 3-litre DeLuxe of course, Austin Kimberley/Tasman were 14" with 5" PCD.

5" PCD is a bit passé today...

Edit - Hold the phone... you are right! Cherokee and Grand Cherokee from '99 and some other Jeeps (Wrangler etc) had 5" from 2006 or so.

[ERC]

Ah bumpers. Had this battle in the past. If people want to risk impossible to replace trim and bumpers on a race track. More fool them. As long as the car is tidily presented, that should be the guideline. The MG bumpers are solid and straight so I took fibreglass moulds off them.

Insisting on all original exterior trim is fine if all you want are Mustangs, Escorts Minis and MGBs, where spares are plentiful and repro items available, but we want (sorry, I want) variety on the track and I'd far rather see one A95 out there without bumpers than no A95 at all. These aren't BMW E30 control classes we are talking about, but older cars of different engine capacities and performance. There is no level playing field, so why try and make it level?

[Ray Bell]

If it were to run as 'in period' in Australia, bumpers would be a non-issue...

Barry Gurdon ran such a car with a supercharger, he did retain his bumpers but bored it to 2857cc (this was prior to the release of the 2912cc engine) and I have no doubt it had other seriously non-standard additions.

[Kevin Hirst]

Ah bumpers. Had this battle in the past. If people want to risk impossible to replace trim and bumpers on a race track. More fool them. As long as the car is tidily presented, that should be the guideline. The MG bumpers are solid and straight so I took fibreglass moulds off them.

Insisting on all original exterior trim is fine if all you want are Mustangs, Escorts Minis and MGBs, where spares are plentiful and repro items available, but we want (sorry, I want) variety on the track and I'd far rather see one A95 out there without bumpers than no A95 at all. These aren't BMW E30 control classes we are talking about, but older cars of different engine capacities and performance. There is no level playing field, so why try and make it level?

Yes bumpers are beaten up rusty mess so not really pos to even take moulds off, late model Jeep with 5inch or 127 mm pcd but they have a large offset, but come in sizes 16X7 upwards will fidd something with about 100MM if I can

[Milan Fistonic]

Those Austins were amazing at Goodwood, 2018 - but they certainly weren't standard!

I know that there are those who think that by limiting mods to almost zero, entry level is easier, but the other view is that limited period mods make the cars far more interesting to drive - and to watch. Why not two classes, as to see and hear those A95s on full song and drifting through the corners was for me, one of the Goodwood highlights?

Entries in just about all classes seem to be plummeting this year and without good entries, there is only one long term outcome.

There was only one big Austin racing at Goodwood in 2019. It was the Nick Jarvis 1958 A105 of 2639cc, driven by Benoit Treluyer. It had a great dice with a 3.4 Jaguar and after the Jag had a minor off, it then battled with a Mk II Zodiac driven by Andre Lotterer.

[Roger Dowding]

Milan,second photo - with " BUY 1 " a famous Jaguar Mark One - the A105 seems to have a good drift on - great shot..

Kevin - a bit of inspiration, Mate ..

[ERC]

I posted several pics from the 2018 meeting on my pics thread:

#2536 #2549 #2577 #2592

Note how flat they are cornering... Definitely an improvement on standard.

"TOL 563 was Jack Sears works supported A105 Westminster in 1958 BRSCC series - its inaugural year. After 11 races he was level on points with Tommy Sopwith (Jag Mk1 3.4), so they had a shoot-off. Both drivers were given identical BMC-prepared Riley 1.5s and had a 5 lap race at Brands Hatch. They then swapped cars and did another 5 laps - each won one race, but Sears aggregate time was 1.8 seconds lower so he became champion."

Up until then, saloons were a rarity on the race tracks as most races were for sports cars, sports racing cars and single seaters. Sports cars were often in three or four classes by capacity.

[Roger Dowding]

I posted several pics from the 2018 meeting on my pics thread:

#2536 #2549 #2577 #2592

Note how flat they are cornering... Definitely an improvement on standard.

Austin - H as in Austin minus H - ealey.. ERC will go and look,
Cheers Ray

[Roger Dowding]

Austin - H as in Austin minus H - ealey.. ERC will go and look,
Cheers Ray

photos of A90-95-105 .. for the AH story - a Healey Saloon -of course.. thanks ERC : " borrowed " these..

I am sure they look like this - Family Resemblance ..

Photo by Gerard Brown " Gidget - Austin Healey " on the Mongolian Rally - 2019.

or this - 100 Six that became a 3000 - works team car..

[Kevin Hirst]

Austin - H as in Austin minus H - ealey.. ERC will go and look,
Cheers Ray

Would love to know exactly what they did in the way of mods, black & white no3 is an A50 great pic's, thank's Guy's

[nigel watts]

[Roger Dowding]

Ken H, re Post #940 and the Moss Motors article on a beautiful 100
" Looks neat with that windshield lowered. "

Sure does, and my oops for not replying [ think i had a reminder just today ?? ].

Even my 100 on the 14 inch Hotwires looked cool like that - seen here in 1984 with Wayne Brown from Salem Oregon in the drivers seat. Wayne was a member of the Oregon Healey Club who toured NZ in 1984 along with about 20 others, mainly from Oregon and one or two from California.
Have put the article into my archives, Thanks Mate.




Makes the driver look too tall though, myself the same day Easter Sunday 1984 in Napier.



" Faminz " from TRS is getting his parts from Moss Motors in Goleta California, for the Sprite restoration - Did you take the order ??

Lots needs doing to the car ;



And thanks again for this Gem Ken H - getting the Non-Healey into a Moss Motors newsletter - a wee while ago ..

" http://www.mossmotoring.com/looking-back/ "

Now back to work for this Boy - work. as in, looking up stuff for TRS and other little projects I have.
Restoration of a Hornby " O " Gauge Loco, for the Father of a Mate is one ..

Not a Healey, but it is from the 1950's

Those missing images - well two of them ..

[Roger Dowding]

Last Post -just now looks like some pictures are not there !! Not sure why ??
I clicked on the " Attachment 65258 and it appears ??

Today they are gone again 17th Feb Bu***er -er -er ..

[Roger Dowding]

The Box

The instructions - in German and English as produced by Revel GmbH ..

I have it on good Authority that the President of the Austin Healey Car Club of New Zealand Inc [ Inc in 1973 ] has the model, which he had built for him by a Specialist Model Builder .. not sure what colour scheme though !.

[Paul B]

Here is another one for you to borrow
I saw it at Shannon car show over the weekend

[Roger Dowding]

" Here is another one for you to borrow
I saw it at Shannon car show over the weekend "

Thanks Paul B - consider it done.

Roger ..

[khyndart in CA]

Roger,
I think you and many others will enjoy this site.

http://www.oldirish.com/collection/healey.html

Ken H