1962 Austin Healey 3000 Reviews

"I used to sit there in an old chair and watch all the cars go past," he says.  "One day I remember seeing a red Healey 100 drive past and I said, 'One day I'll own one of those'." The 61-year-old Mortlake real estate agent has done better than that. Over the years he has owned about 15 Healeys "in varying degrees of respectability". "Funnily enough I've bought well and made some dough on them," he says.  "At one stage I bought and sold a few to help put the kids through private school." After owning several MGs, he bought his first Austin Healey at a Pickles auction in 1983. He passed on a "rather tatty" BN2 and paid $11,000 for a BN1 owned by John Laws.  "The BN2 would have been the better buy but I still doubled my money in nine years," he says. Horwood currently owns a 1985 Porsche convertible, a rare 1980 GLX Valiant, a'67 Mustang convertible, a 1966 3.9 MkII Jaguar, a'95 ClubSport he's had from new and two Healeys.  "I like the others but Healey is my first love," he says. One of his current Healeys is a rare two-seater, sixcylinder 1958 BN6 100/6 roadster he bought in 1991.  It is one of 263 out of 4000 made in right-hand-drive.  The RHD was an export order to Washington DC, possibly for a diplomat. After 30 years it was shipped back to the UK, then Australia where it changed hands several times before Horwood bought it for $12,000. "I've kept it going for all those years and just tidied it up," he said. "I spent about $3000 on a new diff, wheels and wiring. Only last year I spent about $20,000 on an engine rebuild. Had it blueprinted with an alloy head, plus triple Weber carbies and straightcut Tulip ratios fitted to the gearbox. All the goodies. "It goes very hard. Like the clappers. We dynoed it and it has over 200hp (149kW) at the rear wheels. Originally it had about 90-95hp. It's been bored out from 2.6 litres to more than three litres." Horwood says the body has no rust, but is "pretty sad" and there is work to be done.  "But I could drive it from here to Brisbane if I need to.  Mechanically it's fine.  It is insured for $25,000 and he hasn't had that updated to account for the restoration.  Because of money I spent on the engine it should be about $35,000-$40,000." His other Healey is called Stan, which is short for standard because the 1966 3000MK 111 BJ 8 convertible was originally ordered in Yorkshire without overdrive or an adjustable steering wheel. "The only explanation I can think of is that Yorkshiremen are notoriously tight with their money so I reckon this bloke has walked in and didn't want to pay for all the bulls--t on it," he says. Horwood bought it in 2000 on a swap deal.  "lt owes me about $45,000 and it's now worth up to $70,000," he says. "BJ8s are pretty popular, because they're convertibles with wind-up windows and a wrap-around windscreen and are more user friendly," he says. "It was in good nick, but I've done a lot of work to it. "The fuel lines needed to be replaced, brakes were ordinary, the booster wasn't working. It's had a paint touch-up, new trim, new carpet and the tailshaft and rear brake drums have been balanced. It now runs like a bird. Sweet as. "It rides smoothly on 80 profile tyres on the original 15-inch wheels so the tyres fill the arches better and it gives the correct rolling diameter so the speedo is accurate. Low-profile tyres have better acceleration, but this doesn't have overdrive, so this works better."

"I like to say I sell pre-loved cars not second-hand cars. Unfortunately I love too many of them," the 44-year-old Southport dealer principal says. "That's the problem with being a dealer principal; you are in the shop with all these lollies coming in through the front door. You say, 'will I buy it to keep it or sell it?'. What do you do? It's hard when you love cars. You end up with a collection."Dean's collection is mainly made up of cars that have come down from the bedroom walls of his youth into his garage. They include: a 1966 Austin Healey Sprite, a "black, lowered and lovely" 1970 Fiat 124 BC Sport, a 1982 Lancia Beta Coupe which "not surprisingly has rust in all the wrong places", a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III, a 1970 Honda Civic that's only done 20,000km, a 1972 one-owner VW millionth edition Beetle, a 1968 Meyers Manx beach buggy, a 1990s Nissan S-cargo mini van "my wife calls Daisy", a 1988 Corolla hillclimber and a rare 1988 Lancia Delta Integrale HF 4WD eight-valve."I just bought another Integrale from Japan which is basically rust free," he says. "But I'll have to give up some of my other toys like the Beta, Veedub and the Civic."He plans to strip back the second Integrale and make it into a replica white Martini rally car like the ones driven to six World Rally Championships in the 1980s and '90s by drivers such as Juha Kankkunen and Miki Biasion. It's got the 16-valve, two-litre turbo engine but even though it has a smaller turbo than my eight-valve, it doesn't have as much lag. "You can get about 700 horsepower (522kW) out of them which I imagine could be quite scary."He plans to drive the Lancias in historic sprint meetings such as the Tweed on Speed, Leyburn Sprints and recent Cootha Classic. Meanwhile, he seriously campaigns his Corolla in the Queensland hillclimb championships which he won a few weeks ago."I got into it about three years ago through a friend of mine with a little Alfa who kept hounding me and hounding me," he says. "I kept putting it off because you have to be committed, but I did it one day at Mt Cotton and I was hooked. They're a great bunch of blokes. It's not exactly a blood sport."His Corolla has a 4AGE blacktop 20-valve Toyota four-cylinder naturally aspirated improved classified category race engine developing 89kW at the wheels."But it has a lot more torque which is great for hillclimbs," he says. He bought it for $1500 and has turned it into a $28,000 project racer. This is just a car that was supposed to hold me over until I got into the Evo monster," he says. "But you just can't jump in and hit the track with something that has 350kW at the wheels. It's a bit dangerous. I bought the Corolla to step up to the Evo, but I've fallen in love with it and the Evo is still sitting there. And in the interim I've come across the Integrale and now I'm getting another one. It's a sickness."He bought the 134kW Delta from Western Australia for $15,000 after "hunting one down" over several years. "It's got coil-over springs, it's been chipped, I've replaced the manifold and exhaust, and it's had tender loving care...  and about $5000 spent on it. I only use it for special exhibition events, not serious competition. I worry a little bit. I don't want to put it into a wall."

This is how former engineer Keith Bailey chose to mark the occasion.  Bailey came to Australia in 1964 and worked at the South Australian Woomera rocket range which is the largest land-based defence and aerospace range in the world and roughly the size of Bailey's home country of England.  "I was an engineer for Rollls-Royce on gas turbine engines until 1972," he said.Despite living in Australia ever since, Bailey has a keen eye for English beauty such as this model.  It features a 2912cc, straight-six engine capable of a top speed of 112.9mph (181.7km/h), accelerating from 0-100km/h in 10.9 seconds and fuel consumption of 23.5mpg (12L/100km).  It is the only Austin Healey 3000 with triple SU HS4 carburettors.The British sports car had bodywork by Jensen Motors while the vehicles were assembled at the British Motor Corporation Abingdon works.  They made 11,564 MkII models of which 5096 were the BT7 MkII. Many were raced around the world and even competed at Bathurst.  They cost 1362 when new, but Bailey bought his in 1994 for $17,500.The car had been imported from the US along with two others by a Brisbane collector.  "The US is the best place to buy them from because a large proportion went over there," Bailey said.  "It was in a right state.  It was in left-hand drive and I had to convert it which wasn't too difficult as it's all bolt-on stuff.  Because it's English all the holes and fittings are already there for righthand drive, but you do have to change the dashboard."Bailey boasts he did most of the work himself.  However, the gorgeous two-tone paint job and panel work was done by Brisbane renovation specialists Sleeping Beauty.  The restoration is faithful right down to the original Luca magneto, windscreen wipers, horn, lighting and alternator.  The Birmingham motor electronics company was often called the Prince of Darkness because of its high failure rate, however Bailey keeps the faith."It's not failed me so far," he says.  "People tend to rubbish Lucas — for good reason I suppose — but a lot of jets used to use them.  "I'm not sure about these days."

...there were a lot of good things about it, but its star feature was its bantam weight. The car designed by the Don Healey Motor Company in cooperation with the British Motor Corporation, and was introduced to the public in 1958 as a successor to the Austin Seven. The Sprite went on sale for £669 and much of the car was built from parts sourced from other vehicles to keep costs down. A tuned version of the Morris A series engine was used, as was the A Series suspension. Mark IKnown as the ‘Frogeye’ in the UK, or ‘Bugeye’ in the US, the first generation Austin Healey Sprite was initially designed to have retractable headlights that would flip back when not in use. However to save money the flip mechanism was scrapped, leaving the lights permanently in an upright position on the bonnet. The front suspension was a coil spring and wishbone arrangement, with leaf springs at the back. There were no exterior door handles and no boot lid, so access to the spare wheel was from behind the tilted rear seats. Because of its affordability and practicality, the Sprite was a good choice for racing. Its first major victory was in the 1958 Alpine rally. Engine: 1958–1961 - 948 cc A-Series I4, 43 hp (32 kW) at 5200 rpm and 52 ft•lbf (71 Nm) at 3300 rpm. Mark II The Mark II sprite used the same engine as the Mark I initially but with larger carburettors to increase power. In 1962, a bigger 1098cc engine was used. Big changes on the outside gave it a squarer, more modern shape. Front disc brakes and a boot lid were introduced, as was a new set of tail lights that were also seen in the MGB later. The headlights were moved to a more conventional spot and wire wheels became an option. Engines: 1961–1964 - 948 cc A-Series I4, 46 hp (34 kW) at 5500 rpm and 53 ft•lbf (72 Nm) at 3000 rpm. 1962–1964 - 1098 cc A-Series I4, 56 hp (42 kW) at 5500 rpm and 62 ft•lbf (84 Nm) at 3250 rpm. Mark IIIThe Sprite was built in the MG factory in Berkshire and its production urged MG to build a similar car, the Midget. The Midget was effectively a re-badged Mark III Sprite but for a different grille and some minor body detailing. Enthusiasts called the collection of Sprites and Midgets, ‘Spridgets’. The Mark III introduced wind-up windows, exterior door handles and lockable doors. Rear suspension went to semi-elliptical leaf springs. Comfort was a big focus in the Mark III but it was arguably at the expense of agility and liveliness due - in large part - to the increase in weight. Engine: 1964–1966 - 1098 cc A-Series I4, 59 hp (44 kW) at 5750 rpm and 65 ft•lbf (88 Nm) at 3500 rpm. Mark IVIntroduced at the 1966 London Motor Show, the Mark IV Sprite received a larger engine and most notably, a fixed, folding convertible roof. The roof on previous iterations was removable and had to be stowed in the boot. To increase safety, separate brake and clutch master cylinders were fitted. Unfortunately, due to emissions requirements, the larger engine lost a lot of its punch. More cost cutting meant that the Sprite was no longer a viable option financially, and the last ones were sold in 1971(1022 units), simply called, ‘Austin Sprite’. Engine: 1966–1971 - 1275 cc A-Series I4, 65 hp (48 kW) at 6000 rpm and 72 ft•lbf (98 Nm) at 3000 rpm.  

He was just 17 years old and was thrilled to discover the warehouse next to his workplace was owned by a fellow who was a car fan, a car collector, and someone who didn't have a problem with handing the keys over to a teenager.“The guy had a whole heap of cars in his warehouse and one day he asked if I wanted to drive it,” he recalls. “It was so exhilarating and fun, just a good little sports car.”And from that day on he was hooked and wanted to buy his own. Eight years ago, that finally became a reality for Holden.“I had been looking for a long time to buy one and this one turned up two minutes down the road in a car yard,” he says.After spotting it, Holden resisted the urge, but later went past to point it out to his wife.“I drove past and my wife said, `Why don't you have a look?'. I said, `If I look, I won't be able to walk away', but ... my wife said, `Have a look and see what happens'.”And when she encouraged him to sit in the car, Holden warned her: “There's no going back when I put my bum in it.”“Ever since I was a young bloke I've been into cars, motorbikes, tractors, anything mechanical,” he says.And while he couldn't quite afford “these sorts of toys” while he was starting a family, Holden says when the finances allowed it, he jumped at the chance and would now also like to buy another Bugeye, this time one to race.“They actually made this as a nice sports car, but looked at it and said `no, we can't afford to do this' because they wanted an entry level sports car. So they took bits off other cars to make it cheaper, more economical,” he says.The Bugeye has also been called the first unisex sports car to be introduced. Unlike its predecessors, it was built as a simple, yet stylish and affordable sports car, one that would not only attract males, but also tap into the other slowly emerging market of the time: women.To keep the cost down, it drew on as many BMC components as it could. It features Morris Minor-derived steering and brakes, an Austin A35 engine and a four-speed gearbox. It was initially supposed to have pop-up headlights, but to keep the costs down, they instead stuck the headlamps right on top of the bonnet. A move that quickly earned it the nickname Bugeye.And continuing with that unique character, the Sprite also doesn't have any door handles or a boot lid. The Bugeyes came into Australia as a completely knockdown kit (CKD) and were assembled here. Holden says while it's important to continually maintain a 50-year-old car, it is relatively cheap to look after, as he does most of the work himself. The 45-year-old tries to drive it at least every two or three weeks.“If you can get one on a winding road or country road, it's beautiful fun to drive,” he says.“Corners are really nice. Throw it into a corner in third gear, that's a lot of fun.”Its handling ability and engine capacity is similar to the Mini with a 1.0-litre motor.Holden has even done some motor racing in his Sprite and says although the top speed of 82mph (131km/h) may not sound that fast, it feels it in a car that's so close to the ground and weighs just 600kg. And the Bugeye has had a lot of tender love and care over the years, the previous owner pumping $15,000 into it.“I believe it's the earliest Bugeye Sprite to be done up in Australia,” Holden says.And while he came close to selling it last year, Holden says he talked a prospective owner out of buying it by rattling off all the “bad things” about owning car which is half a century old.But while he was exaggerating the problems with old cars, such as drum brakes, no radio, having to tune the carburettors regularly, he talked himself into keeping it at the same time.“Really, the car drives perfectly, the brakes are wonderful, I couldn't ... tell you anything I don't like about it,” he says.Holden realised, it really wasn't the time just yet to say goodbye to his Bugeye.“I said to my wife, I think we'll keep it.”Today, Sprites in the same condition as Holden's sell for between $22,000 and $30,000.But his won't be going anywhere anytime soon. SNAPSHOT 1958 AUSTIN HEALEY SPRITEValue when new: about pound stg. 900 (`Bugeye')Value now: about $25,000 to $30,000Verdict: With its insect-like character, the Bugeye Sprite is a cool little sports car.