The Roaring Season

Ray Bell wrote:I had a bit of a look online and I'm not so interested any more...

The front suspension is Healey's trailing arm (as on Silverstone etc), which doesn't sit well with me. The rear is okay, a coil spring version of the torque tube arrangement from a Nash with a Panhard bar. Healey made a special head for the engine in alloy, but the power wasn't magnificent.

Roger Dowding wrote:Ray, thanks for the comments - believe that the " Healey " front suspension was rather complicated and expensive, no wonder they used a more basic but good handling set up on the Healey 100, that became the Austin Healey 100 - was modified over time to use on the 100 Six and 3000 apart from better Brakes [ Disc ] on later cars nothing much changed.

The suspension - edit from Wikipaedia.
" The chassis was a widened and reinforced Healey Silverstone box-section ladder-type steel frame. Independent front suspension, also Healey Silverstone, was by coil springs, trailing link, and a sway bar. The rear suspension featured Nash's rear end and coil springs replaced the Silverstone’s leaf springs, while the beam axle was located by Panhard rod. "

Classic and Sportcar article states " With rumours that his supply of Riley engines was about to dry up, Healey had been on his way to Detroit to shop for the new overhead-valve Cadillac V8; when it wasn’t forthcoming (Cadillac couldn’t spare any), Mason’s offer of the rugged 3.8-litre Nash ‘Dual Jetfire’ straight-six began to look like a good deal.

Special high-compression, 125bhp versions of this seven-bearing, overhead-valve unit – complete with three-speed overdrive gearboxes – were shipped to England, six at a time, in giant packing cases. All the Donald Healey Motor Co had to do was fit twin SU carburettors, which helped to get a lower bonnet line.

It was then installed into a suitably modified Healey Silverstone box-section chassis, with trademark coil spring and cast-alloy trailing-link front suspension and a new coil-sprung rear end. Nash supplied the propshaft, torque tube, rear axle, wheels and ‘Weather eye’ heater, plus various items of instrumentation and trim. "

A 1950 Model for sale - doesn't seem right as production was 1951 - 54. so maybe they mean a 1950's model.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]62402[/ATTACH]

Ray Bell wrote:Probably the same as the pistons as portrayed in the beginning of The World's Fastest Indian...

Ray Bell wrote:You need some of this bloke's work on this thread!

Ray Bell wrote:I was referring purely to Rod's work with the cartoons...

" There are other Healey cartoons he's done."

Ray Bell wrote:We'll see how it goes with Rod...

He says his filing system is in disarray.

This morning eight big Healeys, led by Charlie and Linda Mitchell, set off from Gooseberry Hill on the start of their marathon 25 day trip around half of Australia. The other seven cars belong to members of the Victorian Austin Healey Club.

They had all left their cars in Perth after the recent National Rally held here in April. Their return journey will take them up the west coast to Darwin then down through the centre of the continent to Alice Springs then on to Port Augusta.

There the Victorian contingent will turn left and head home to Melbourne and the Mitchells will turn right and head home to Perth across the Nullarbor. For those not familiar with Australian geography, that means a journey of some 9500 KMs for Charlie and Linda. Wishing them all a safe and fun filled journey.