HOW far is "too far gone"?
 

Grandson uncovered a neglected Austin Healey that was given up for dead 10 years ago while mowing the north 40. He tried to drag it out with the Cub Cadet, but it took the GMC to actually tear it free from natures death grip.
He wants to learn a lot about welding and fabrication. I think we have found his practice pad. Michael is 12 now. ANYTHING that happens to this car is a 'good' thing. It has been passed over 3 times when the crusher was hungery.
I have a 2.5 out of a 92 Dakota with a 5 speed attatched. This COULD work!
Click link in my signature and go to 60 Austin Healey album

Re: HOW far is "too far gone"?
 

27 'Album visits in 1/2 HOUR!!
I only had 50 visits on the 47-440 album in 2 YEARS!!

Re: HOW far is "too far gone"?
 

That thing might be good for the VIN plate:rolleyes:

Re: HOW far is "too far gone"?
 

Wow, is there anything left of the frame? Do you think any of the rusted metal will actually take to welding?

-Bill

Re: HOW far is "too far gone"?
 

The frame will be of our own design, with Subaru suspension and a cage that the Austin Healey hangs on.
A Dodge 2.5 and 5 speed will connect to a Subaru rear.
A 1960 Austin Healey 'RatRod, if you will. 2500 CC's where 948 used to live.

Re: HOW far is "too far gone"?
 

It's held on with Phillips screws. There is a New York title with it. I'm going to try to save enough stuff from this car to help Mike restore a better specimen that his grandmother gave to him last year.
She had 3 of them when she threw me out 27 years ago. Now she has ONE and it doesn't run.
She has not had a 'ride' in an Austin Healey since she threw me out.

The 'piece' in the pics was bought as a 'parts car' in the 70's.
It has been pushed,shoved and stashed till it got 'junked' 10 years ago at my shop. I was not there, so the guy on the forklift picked it up and set it on the north 40. It broke in half that day, and that is why it is still available for reconstruction.
IF it had sat flat all these years, there would be nothing left of it.
All I care about is the 'skin'. Everything else will be 'new' fabrication.
Whatever is left over will be used on Mike's car.
I will try to resist a strong 'urge' to tow it past the EX's house on the way to the airport, even though it is 8 miles out of the way.

Revenge is a dish best served 'COLD'!!

Re: HOW far is "too far gone"?
 

It would be more interesting if is was an Austin Healey MK II or III as some of them were fitted with V8s under the Jensen Healey label.

BUT, an Austin Healey Sprite (BugEye) mixed with an SVX might be very interesting and definitely a good project for a youngster.

Lee

Re: HOW far is "too far gone"?
 

I've seen worse advertised as resto projects. Word of note, that car would be absolutely worthless with anything but a 948 in it in the AH world. Even the later Midget/Sprite engines drop it drastically in value. Probably worth 500 as it sits now.

Re: HOW far is "too far gone"?
 

I've driven the 948 for years. they are weak and are not dependable. THIS will be a RATROD that is FUN to drive!
There is NOTHING left that a A-H 'purist' would even drag away free.
The car as 'concours' wouldn't bring what a 100K Subaru would.
They were junk as 'new'. They sold for $100. when they were 10 years old.
The 'best' car we had was bought for $500.
The 'value' of these cars is enhanced by MODS to someone that has never SEEN one.

Re: HOW far is "too far gone"?
 

I think this is a great project Jerry. The modern engine and with some your modern touches will make this car even better then it was from day one. Good luck and take lots of pics!

Re: HOW far is "too far gone"?
 

That's where your wrong, that hood looks pretty decent and would fetch that $500 if it is as solid as it looks. There are very few concours sprites but a solid driver brings $7500, a nicely restored one $15k. Concours car would in theory be in the 20-25k range. You obviously are paying way too much for a 100k Stubaru.;)

Someone who has never seen one wouldn't fit in one. They'd be too fat and can't look down at a car show as their gut hangs out too far and blocks their vision. Although not the greatest performer touching in at the 50hp mark the 948 is a nice smooth rev happy motor. Reliable as anything else sold in the late 50s. Provided you knew how to work on foreign stuff. Remember the carb is a little sensitive as it isn't much bigger than what's on my CB175

Re: HOW far is "too far gone"?
 

You have to wear gloves to lift the hood! There are so many rust holes on it!
This car is TRASHED!! It is stripped, decayed, vandalized, neglected.... BUT, it has a driveline that will make someone happy. The last time I looked at Sprites, they were still dirt cheap.
I am one of the few people in this area that understands the quirks of the SU carb.(s). As time marches on, and the 'Sages' die off, I may be one of less than 10 people here that can make an SU behave! I don't need a flow-meter to syncronise multiple carbs. I use a hose and a 'pitch-perfect' ear.
For years, I was the 'Go-To' guy on Brit's. Then, the Brits rusted away.
The 'FACT' that the EX has not driven an AH since she threw me overboard is TESTEMENT to that 'FACT'!

Re: HOW far is "too far gone"?
 

The Bestest 'helper' I have in the shops is my Grandson Michael!
He is there, ON TASK, no matter what the task is!
He will be turning 13 on the 28th of August.
He is WONDERFUL! He makes me proud!Michael is the young man in all the pics with the 1960 Austin Healey. He wants to help build mine, because he has one too.
He also helped me move Dad's Malibu to 'ground ZERO' for wonderfulness to start.
We couldn't put it inside yet becaus...e the Austin Healey went in first. The 'plan' is to let Michael park the AH at my camp at LaborDay as 'HIS' project that I helped HIM with. A lot of it will be a 'Mock-up', but it will be obvious to the observer, what the 'plan' is!
The car would be still sitting in-da-weeds' if Michael hadn't 'prodded' me

Re: HOW far is "too far gone"?
 

Me and my first of 3 British cars. This one is actually still in the family in non-running condition. The second was a 1963 Austin Healey 3000--bought new. The first year they made rollup windows instead of removeable screens.

Lee

Re: HOW far is "too far gone"?
 

I LOVE those cars! They are worlds above the Sprite, but Sprite was what we had then and that is what we are saving now!
I have seen more of the 3000s with a 327 Chevy than I have with the original driveline.