Journal

Healey Journal

At the summer's end of 2003 I thought that I would record my experiences since September, 2001 of buying, importing and rebuilding my Healey, and share that with the wider public through this site.

I had initially envisaged a monthly report highlighting the successes (and otherwise) of my work. Needless to say, like so much of my work on the Healey these best laid intentions have been optimistic. Under the circumstances I will aim instead to provide quarterly reports that describe the progress recently made and the current activities being done. This allows for a more sensible amount of work to be done (I hope) and a much easier schedule of reportage. And still, I hope, provide a public incentive to actually DO things, even when the garage is cold, the dog needs his walks and the wife is similarly growling.

To that end I've produced a"historic" report on the previous years and the seeming lack of progress. Why? Well, it is far too easy to start with a great burst of enthusiasm and find that bad weather, and poor planning and sundry other delays due to vendors, "helpers", unavailable and/or wrong parts, and all sorts of other problems can stall things. Others may take heart from knowing that such situations may be retrievable. The almost unending hiatus in progress was more visible than real- parts and tools and parts and references and parts and ideas were being seized upon and acquired. So all the while that the car just seemed to be sitting there, rusting in peace, there was a regular stream of activity percolating behind the scenes (or so I've told everyone, particularly those of a spousal or familial character that commented upon the "rusting in peace" character of the project. Perhaps, they believed it... though doubtful.) Nevertheless, at summer's end, 2003 most of the necessary background work was complete, the requisite skills developed or learned and/or the memory racked to recall others, the absolutely essential facilities had finally been built and made habitable, and sufficient parts accumulated (and the odd few new tools smuggled past the gate-keepers, or bought in by these guardians of the communal purse as birthday/ Christmas/ reconciliation presents) for a renewed effort to commence. I trust the information in these Journals is useful. If not useful, then amusing. If neither useful or amusing, then a forewarning....

I've been producing these reports quarterly since the end of 2003, but for the sake of brevity those earlier ones have been consolidated into the summary. Now, in early 2009, this all seems to have been going on forever; though I must confess that the distractions of a Jensen-Healey in 2006 and my acquisition of a Rochdale Olympic in 2008 have been responsible too- but distractions I was quite happy to indulge. The Rochdale is great fun, and it's healthy and running. It shows me what a sportscar is about and is motivating while the others need work. The Jensen is now coming to the end of its over-long rebuild, what I thought would take six months has stretched into the best part of two years. It went from a "simple" engine rebuild to a significant engine/transmission/suspension upgrade and interior renewal; I mus confess to being easily persuaded to over-do things.... But the end point will be a nice small car "collection" of what I think are the most innovative and interesting British sports cars of the 1950s, '60s and '70s. Then I might think about the '80s, '90s and 00's- how's that for masochism? Hummm? a Turbo Espirit, maybe- or a MGF (innovative? no, but what other British sportscar was there? ignoring the Morgan. Maybe a kit car, but taking away the Cobra-clones and the Lotus 7-look-alikes and what's there? Other copies, though the SS100 Jaguar and the Westfield 11 both look like "retro"-mobiles that might be interesting.... But all that would be is more distraction from the work at hand. STOP daydreaming! I tell myself. Regularly.