Hello from North Norfolk on a lovely day.  Here to retrieve some of the Healey 100 parts, particularly the shroud, doors and the one wing I have.

This is the stuff, stuck in the corner of the garage where it has been for too many years.

Some of the original boxes that the car came in.

Some of the panels ready for loading.  Note the original door with the panel that the hinges bolt to still attached as the door literally fell off the car.

I'm glad that my Mother in-law won't see this until the car has been cleared out (thanks).

And ready to hit the road back to London with the shroud providing a an extra bit of down force.

I had some good finds and some not so good.  I thought for example that I had no fuel gauge but found one.  However, I thought I had a full set of windscreen components but realised that I am missing one of the brackets that fits between the shroud and the wing to take the bottom of the windscreen when it folds down flat and all that stuff looks horrifically expensive, oh well.  I had loads of bits that had no meaning to me what so ever, still I guess that is going to be part of the adventure.

Now I just have to do a bit, watch this space...

A quiet week on the Healey front.  Managed to look at the cost of hinges and found that they are about £50-£60 plus for second hand items so decided I needed to resurrect the items I had.  I looked on Ahead 4 Healeys web site and couldn't see a separate bush/pin set to decided against stripping it into its various components.  So back in the garage and despite having been soaked in lubricant for a week the hinge was locked solid.  I didn't want to go down the big hammer road because I thought it might be a tad brittle so I resorted to the Oxy-Acetylene heat it and hope method.  It worked.  Now both hinges are free and awaiting a door and an A-post to mount to.

I am getting the parts back from Norfolk this weekend which will give me plenty to do.  Although it does mean missing ths classic car show but one can't have everything. 

Well I am having trouble uploading the videos so I will post some photos while I keep trying.

Following the two days I got in the garage I managed to sort out the rear shroud and replace the footwell outer panel. 

The shroud sits much better on the inner wings after I removed the near side inner wing and shaved about 1cm off the wheel arch and replaced the inner wing.  It still needs some minor adjustment but it is much better than it was before I had a go at it.  Feel pleased about that but conscious that until I fit the wings and doors I won't know if it is the correct place, still a step in the right direction.

Here you can see the near side section of the shroud and whilst it is sitting above the inner wing it does actually fit well when encouraged to do so.

Here the off side section is shown sitting really well on the inner wing. 

I spent the second day of half term replacing the outer footwell panel.



So, Tuesday night now and I'm in the garage and doing a typical repair job on my work bike which is stopping me working on the Healey.  I'm a little on the chubby side now so need the 8 mile cycle to work every day otherwise I'll be buying new clothes to keep my belly hidden.  It is only a puncture repair which doesn't take long but is seems that it is one thing after another that keeps me away from the car.

I have got most of the parts for the Healey at Mum's house in Norfolk because I don't have much storage space in London.  The only parts I have are one of the original doors fittings and the hinges are shown.  As I plan to fit the door hinge support posts next I figure it is a good time to get these out and ready.  I note that the left hand hinge is broken but am not convinced that it won't go again.  However, the broken hinge is also locked solid.  You can see some of the Healey Blue paint on these items which is the original colour and my favourite for the rebuilt car.  So I start by freeing up the right hand hinge and cleaning them both up.

Having cleaned the hinge I can see that they have brass bushes and a solid pin holding them together.  These pins are held in place by a punch mark.  I am not sure how this is possible as the bodies look like cast metal and that I would have thought is both hard and brittle.  At the moment I don't know how much the hinges cost or if I can buy the components individually.  So I'll have a look and decide if I should have a go at removing the pin to clean it up.  The other hinge has freed after a little lubrication.  Some thought is required.

I have been able to borrow my Mother in law's car to travel to Norfolk to get some of the parts that I need to move forward.  These are the second original door, the two new doors and the single rear wing that I bought on eBay and the shroud.  I need a pair of wings for the front and one for the rear and despite looking on eBay for the past 3 years I have failed to obtain them.  I have a few contacts to try and I have posted a wanted add to the owners club so I'll have to sit and wait.  In an ideal world I would like aluminium wings as the doors, shrouds and the off-side rear wing that I have are all aluminium.  It also doesn't rust, something that really appeals.  However, they are unbelievably expensive and I am not the Bank of England so old metal ones will have to do.  Mind you, the repair panels are expensive too so even this isn't going to be cost effective route.  Still, fingers crossed.

Ok, these videos show where I am now, enjoy:

Hello,

I am a car enthusiast who has longed for an Austin Healey 100 since I went for a ride in one when I was 17, almost 30 years ago.  A chap in my road had a green 100 and I would take the dog for a walk and just stop and stare at the car, so much so that one day he came out to speak with me and took me for a ride in it with the roof off and screen laid flat.  I vividly remember feeling as if my smile was being extended from ear to ear by the wind.  I also remember us having to stop in Cockfosters because a short from one of the batteries caused a small fire.  I was in love with the 100 from that time.  Fast forward almost 30 years and I find myself rebuilding my very own 1954 100 BN1.  The only real issue is that it is taking ages.  3.5 years to date and I have got nowhere near far enough.  I bought the car in boxes from a chap in Southampton who realised he'd never get it done.




The 100 as seen in Southampton with the new chassis next to it (the guy had a garage to die for)

 

It came with a new chassis which he had galvanised and a engine that had been rebuilt.  I have no knowledge of who made the chassis or indeed if it is accurate or what had been done to the engine but couldn't resist the car and bought it.  That was 5 years ago and since then I spent a long time finishing the Luego Velocity kit car I was building so the Healey didn't actually get into my garage until April 09.



The 100 being transported to M&Ds for storage after the purchase





The 100 being transported back to London for the rebuild



 I started the work quite eagerly but I look back now and realise that I have been the master procrastinator consequently I have decided to create this blog with the aim of keeping me focused on the task in hand.