The Story to Now

Healey Journal

The Choice

Early in 2001 I thought that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Surveying the vast range of possibilities I soon decided that philately was not for me, and although I greatly enjoyed Chess and other sedentary pursuits they didn't reach out and grab me. Something more visceral was needed: a sports car. Before being married I'd had a few- an MGB, a Spitfire, a 'Vette (in innumerable pieces, but still...) and I'd played around with other cars of a more mundane nature. Now, with all my former possessions becoming "Classics", valued and appreciated far, far more now than then, the times seemed auspicious for a revival of my automotive idiosyncrasies.

Surveying all the possibilities and now living in Bonnie Scotland, I thought what would be more natural than restoring one of the great British sports cars of the 1950s & 60s. I considered the exotica: ACs, Astons, Jags, Lotuses (Loti?), Morgans and a whole host of obscure orphans (Berkeleys, Gilberns, Bristols, Rochdales, etc.) produced in small numbers and rarely found now but in the final analysis the choices boiled down to Triumphs, MGs and Healeys. Non-British cars simply didn't get a second thought, apart from a long, wistful and entirely furtive glance at an Alfa Montreal.

MGs?

I'd had an MGB and wanted something different (yes, I knew I could work on it, and still had all the manuals, etc., but I wanted a new challenge rather than reliving the past)- the T-series cars were attractive but seemed TOO "retro" and fragile, besides being over-priced and under-powered. The MGA seemed a very attractive prospect, one that I still find appealing- and a potential stable mate for the Healey should I live so long, without bankruptcy intervening. And while the MGC seemed to offer a little something more it wasn't quite enough....

Triumphs?

I'd had a Spitfire and enjoyed it immensely. Its appeal was its cheapness, easy availability of cars and parts, and its familiarity (as with the MGB) to me. Its detractions were its cheapness, its easy availability (too many- no distinctiveness) and its being something I'd already experienced. The early Triumphs were, to my eye, ugly. I didn't like either the TR2 or TR3, regardless. But, the TR4 was attractive, and the TR6 nice too. A little cognitive dissonance here- the TR6 was contemporary with my late teens and was much liked, the TR4 a bit of a "used car" then. Thus, it now seems to me that the market preference (price-wise) for the older models jars slightly with my own memories of the relative merits of the two models. I considered both TR4 and TR6 as worthy candidates but for the "depreciation" factor. Restoring any car involves pushing substantial sums of money into a garage, and getting rather less back out the door, when it comes. It seemed to me that the challenges of restoring a TR were not that much greater than those seen with a Healey (so, everyone makes errors of judgment, 20-20 hindsight) and the costs involved were not all that different, given that enormous amounts of time were the chief input. I suspect that had I chosen a TR6 I'd be rather further along with its restoration and have a little more money in the bank, but I doubt that I'd be quite so pleased at the end of it all. Will the wait be worthwhile? Watch this space....

Sunbeams? Tigers?

I'd always thought that the Sunbeam Alpine was a very pretty little car, nice looking but not really in the same sporty league as Triumphs or MGs. Better than a Herald or Magnette certainly, but not so hot compared to the stable mates. The Shelby modified Tiger was a rather different kettle of fish and one that was more to my taste. But I was more than a little concerned about the viability of getting one as a project. The relatively small volume made (of both Alpine and Tiger models) would not bode well for obtaining replacement panels, components or like-minded enthusiasts to pump for information, or to borrow tools from, or to cadge parts off. Ford V8s would be a dime a dozen, and performance parts for it equally available, but the rest seemed doubtful.... A few weeks of casual observation soon lead me to suppose that if I bought one it might very well be the only one in Scotland. Unique- absolutely. But those circumstances seemed to make the effort of getting it on the road disproportionately difficult. Many of the same problems of having a true exotic like an AC or Bristol, without having quite the same rewards. I still think the Tiger attractive, and maybe, after the Healey, I could be more than tempted to get one. After all, having now developed these wonderful restoration skills it would be a terrible waste to let them lie idle and deteriorate... Now, how would I sneak a second (or third) sports car past the wife?????

Jensen-Healeys?

Having considered Healeys I soon recalled the Jensen-Healey. Again a very appealing car, with much the same attractions as the TR6 in terms of visual appeal, performance and seemingly, value. But a rather more speckled situation with great question marks over its integrity (rust) and performance (engine). Nothing that couldn't be dealt with, certainly, but even more susceptible to the "depreciation" criticism which made the TRs less attractive. Indeed, for a while I was inclined to get one but fate, and the Internet stepped in.... And I later succumbed to their appeal, one with a little interesting history became available and I could no longer resist getting one of the more innovative British sportscars....

Big Healeys

My quandary was simple: I wanted something with better than average performance, some rarity value and distinctiveness, visual impact and character all without having to spend truly enormous sums or dealing with exotic technology (read: paying specialists for their cock ups rather than making my own mistakes) or completely unavailable (or resorting to handmade) parts and some ability to return a value for the effort made.

Champaign tastes, but a beer (OK, OK, its PREMIUM beer) budget. The big Healey seemed to fit my desires perfectly: providing the exact balance of performance, distinctive appearance and character at a reasonable cost, with manageable technical challenges in its restoration and upkeep. Oddly enough, exactly those features that it exhibited to attract buyers 40+ years ago vis-á-vis its competitors from Jaguar, Triumph and MG. How could I resist? My mind was settled: I wanted a big Healey. Still do, and that motivation will be essential, for the next few years....

The Purchase

Having thus decided on the car I needed to find one. Living in Britain I surveyed what was available. Virtually everything I liked was too expensive. Virtually everything that I didn't like because it was a wreck was also too expensive. A web search soon turned up evidence of pricing differentials between the USA and the UK- differentials that made buying a US Healey and its importation an economically viable option. A path that a number of other British Healey afficianados have also trod.

I found a Healey on e-bay and soon acquired it. I probably paid too much, and didn't ask enough of the right questions, but I don't think that I paid too too much or that the problems were too much worse than I would have confronted anyway. Ultimately, the car wasn't the great bargain I'd hoped for, but neither was it a great disaster, all things considered, and now knowing what I know about Healeys and it, I reckon it was just about fair. That, for buying a car on-line, is probably about the best that can be hoped for.

The car was purchased, with a deal concluded on September 30^th, 2001. Funds were exchanged shortly afterwards, and the car dispatched to a freight-forwarding agent for containerized shipment to the UK. I also found a back-up engine and transmission from an earlier model and bought it too, as cheap insurance should I encounter difficulties. Unfortunately the seller of the spare engine was, to put it kindly, dilatory in his handling of the transaction (bad enough, often enough to now be de-listed as an e-bay vendor) so that the whole package wasn't available for shipment until mid-December. As things worked out, it didn't get on a ship until the new year. And what happened then is grist for the next Journal.

.So, the year 2002 started on an optimistic note: at long last my car was bound for Britain and I'd find out what I'd bought and discover whether the Healey was what I expected it to be. It arrived in late January at Folkestone, was unloaded and passed by Customs and placed in storage by the receiving agent for pick up.

I investigated various car transporters. They universally wanted more for moving the car from eastern England to Mid-Scotland than it cost to ship the car from Connecticut to New Jersey and across the Atlantic. Substantially more. I rented a trailer and did it myself, for around one quarter the cost, inclusive of having to pay for the installation of a trailer hitch and all the associated wiring required, the trailer rental, the fuel and meals along the way. But I still owe my helper/co-driver a beer. Multiple beers.

The only glitch in towing the car the 450 miles to Glasgow came at the very start back with it. When put in the container someone let the air out of the tires. Not a big problem, but they did so by removing the valve bodies and leaving two of them in New Jersey. So we ended up having a car with flat tires- it made towing a little safer since it was less likely to move. But unloading became hellacious. So, in late February the car came "home", to be covered and rest from its journey in our driveway.

Year 1: 2002

Over the next few months it was closely inspected and various deficiencies noted with replacement parts identified and sources pursued. I started dismantling it, and often discovered new problems. These didn't surprise me, I'd expected to have the number of visible problems reflect similar numbers of invisible ones. Needless to say, I didn't like finding problems, but I'd allowed for some disappointment from the start. In that, I wasn't disappointed.

In the late spring and through the summer I dismantled the car, first removing things liable to damage: the trafficator and glass, the chrome trim, and other small items. But it was difficult to make real progress.

What did disappoint me was the weather, and how little time I could effectively spend on the car. Progress was far slower than I'd anticipated. At the end of the summer, 2002 after I'd owned the car for a full year, and possessed it for 8 months the car hadn't even been fully disassembled. At that point serious action was needed. A garage was the solution.

Year 2: 2003

I had the space, the Healey already occupied it. But it was uncovered and it seemed that a cover could be erected quickly, easily and cheaply. But like so much connected with this project, that was not to be....

Preliminary enquiries soon showed that the local municipal authorities would not approve any kind of easily constructed wooden structure. The garage had to fit in with the general design of the house and character of the neighborhood. The cheap and easy eyesore I'd contemplated was not-so-gently smiled upon and pushed firmly aside.

A more substantial brick structure was obligatory, with myriad rules and regulations to satisfy. An architect was engaged in December and after Christmas, progress was then underway. Oddly enough, the Architect was a sports car enthusiast himself, having previously owned a heavily modified Triumph GT6 with a huge picture thereof prominently displayed in his office. I wisely kept my opinions of early TR2s & 3s to myself, while fondly reminiscing about my Spit of 30 years earlier.

The weather in 2002 allowed little time for working on the car so at that point serious action was needed. A garage was the solution, and most of the effort of getting one occupied 2003 along with the ongoing effort at accumulating parts.

The drawing up of the plans, their approval by the local authorities, the short listing of builders and selecting one took through the late Spring, with construction then depending on the builder's other commitments, but starting in late June.

The builder's progress started well, with stronger foundations laid, brick walls erected and the roof put up. After two weeks the main structure was done. At that point the builder went on holiday to Florida for two weeks. This was known in advance, and approved. In fact, it was very useful, for it allowed me to completely "finish" the interior by painting all the walls and ceiling, and to install virtually all of the shelving. All that was left was to install the electrical supply, hang the garage door, finish covering the roof with the final weather proofing and apply the exterior finish to the outside walls. The builder returned from his holiday and proceeded like something from that great Scottish author, Robert Louis Stevenson's book Dr. Jekel and Mr. Hyde. Where the first half of the project went well, without a single problem or aggravation the second half progressed as though the man could do nothing right. Finishing slabs wouldn't lie straight. Drain pipes leaked. Plastered walls developed undulations worthy of Saharan sand dunes. And the silly SOB moaned continually about not being paid once he said the job was "finished". Of course, had he been paid, what chance then of his EVER getting his screw ups properly fixed? He was almost as unhappy with me, as I was with him. Only fair, I guess.

Tip for managing builders. NEVER, EVER fully pay for the job until its absolutely, positively finished to your full satisfaction. Regardless. I even stopped a cheque to the man to make that point.

I don't think he's ever going to work for another American. This one, at any rate.

So what has happened or been accomplished during 2003? Not enough visibly, is the short answer.

Quite a lot in reality, I think (I tell myself), though little of it is actually apparent. Bringing together a lot of loose ends, and organizing them all into a coherent basis for the future work:

A new chassis has been acquired. Almost all of the inner body panels that need replacing have been acquired and many of the other components have been acquired.

A "systematic" approach has been used: I identified a "sub-system" of the car and then assessed it, and set about getting all the components needed to put it right.

Most of the bits and pieces are on hand to begin the car's revival. At this point I feel fairly steady progress has been made despite the apparent failure to actually put the car back together.

Years from now, but reachable.

At this point it's the world's biggest jigsaw puzzle.

All I need now is a sensible approach to putting all the "in hand" parts together so they're "in car" instead... and the determination and motivation to do it all.

CAVEAT:  While I've followed an approach that defers doing any real work on the car for two years while all the supporting facilities are acquired or built and the vast majority of needed components are bought this may not be suitable for everyone. Or, indeed, for anyone else. This approach has largely been dictated by the lack of a workspace until now. The emphasis has been on getting all the things together that will now allow real progress to be made. And I suppose that I now have a much better idea of what can and should be done than I'd had at the start- so there will be fewer false starts, hold-ups for unavailable parts, or doing "X" only to learn later that "Y" is much better, etc. Or so I tell myself. Some of that seems inevitable anyway, I hope its minimized. I've had to endure a much longer period of actually having to think about what I was doing, and planning it than most people suffer. Maybe its for the best.

Year 3: 2004

The work accomplished from January through March was not as much as desired. I'd achieved a fair amount towards acquiring the components needed to begin re-assembly: components acquired include the remaining inner body panels needed (A pillars and outer footwell panels), the remaining outer body panels (wings) needed, the brake components for the rear AND the uprated four-piston Toyota Calipers desired, replacements for the worn left hubs have been acquired, the old front shocks exchanged for uprated rebuilt ones  and the king pins reamed.

Minor fabrication design had begun with the patterns for various sheet metal fabrications measured and cut.  The final touches have been made to the Workshop: the proper "industrial" outlets for the spot welder have been installed, and a plastic sheet has been hung to create a "dead air" space for insulation at the front of the garage.  Its effectiveness remains to be judged. In addition, necessary welding supplies have been ordered, and I've been practicing my welding skills prior to doing any real work. One point to recognize is that I didn't set any specific targets for work to be done during the quarter- I'd listed the many things remaining, but hadn't really separated any of them for doing. I had an idea of what was next and should be done, but I'd not laid out a schedule for doing that work. This is a point to remedy in future plans.

Following on from the first quarter I identified the things to be done over the months through June, and set about doing them. Since the Journal was intended to be a motivational tool and the previous "issue" outlined my plans, this again found that what was accomplished was not enough, and nothing like the mass of activity I'd intended. The press of work at my day-job and a few difficulties at home intruded. But I did manage to get the transmission and overdrive rebuilt, the rear axle stripped and rebuilt by specialists, balance the rear brake drums and drive shaft. And I've sand-blasted all the suspension and other minor components and prepared them for refinishing. The plan for the summer was to fabricate the parts I needed and to begin with the re-assembly of the car. I remain a little ambitious and may take rather longer- perhaps even until the year's end, but I'd rather try to do to much and fall short than not push forward.

During the summer and early fall I fabricated the  Motor Mount Pedestal reinforcements, the Rear Shock reinforcements and extra cross-brace reinforcement, the Wishbone reinforcements, the Front Panel Edges and the Front Inner Wing Edges & Sill patches, and the Battery Panel patch. I was able to fit the motor mount pedestal reinforcements, the rear shock reinforcements and extra cross-brace reinforcement, and the front wishbone reinforcements. I've also mounted the rear chassis extensions.

Other work done: the last wing needed was obtained, the brake shims/spacers were fabricated, the steering box & Idler sent to be rebuilt and a set of minilite style Alloy Wheels was obtained.

In  the last  three months I  finally started rebuilding the car. I didn't get nearly as much done on the chassis and inner body as intended but I feel as though a good start has been made. It was  ambitious, and I'm certainly finding that the welding is taking longer than planned. I've done some things I hadn't planned  on  doing-  like  getting  the  wheels  and  sending  the steering  for  rebuilding, but it all would have to be done eventually. Even if I'm not doing the things planned I'm still making progress (some, anyway) on other fronts.

What I've done in the final quarter of the year has been:

1.) The suspension components and other small parts have been stripped. They are now primed and re-finished in Chassis Black except for those items that require body color.

2.) The exhaust system has been acquired and has been specially treated with heat reducing coatings. These are reputed to reduce the radiated heat substantially and to minimize the underhood temperatures and virtually eliminate the need for insulation. I'll still put the proper insulation in, just to be sure, though and mount the pseudo-asbestos panels as well to appear more "original" though its not, really.

3.) The rebuilt overdrive and transmission have been reassembled, primed and refinished in the proper light green metallic paint. The rebuilt rear differential has been completed, it is awaiting the welding of the rear anti-roll bar brackets and refinishing in Chassis Black.

4.) The chassis and all panels have been sent for sand-blasting and priming. The sand blasting and priming are taking MUCH longer than anticipated. I'd hoped to have these back so I could do some of the work over the Christmas holidays, but I'm just going to have to entertain the family instead....

I don't feel as though I've achieved much this quarter, but work at the University started back up and has been something of a distraction.

Year 4: 2005

The first quarter of 2005 was one of the MOST frustrating of the whole time I've been trying to make progress with the restoration. In mid-October of 2004 the larger panels and chassis were sent for sand blasting & priming. That effort seemingly took forever. I had hoped to have had the sand-blasted chassis and panels back before Christmas so that I might have done some work on them over my Christmas holidays, and then a little during the term and rather more during the Easter Break, but none of that's happened and I'm left with the whole project seemingly hanging around awaiting other people. And in taking so long is leaving me straining to do something, anything to progress the project....

I don't feel as though I've achieved much again during the first half of the year- even less than in the previous six months, but work at the University has been very heavy. The weather too is unappealing for the humidity and chill making working in the garage less than enticing, though it is heated well now. Its not been an entire waste for I've been able to practice my welding skills more, and to indulge my tool collecting a little. I suppose that once I DO get the panels I'll then be able to forge ahead well, but until then I'm sitting twiddling my thumbs idly....

By late May. 2005 the sandblasting finally arrived, but there were a few things to make right before I could start reassembling it all together. What I've done over through the summer's end: all the panels were sanded and minor flaws spot blasted or touched up with primer, the edges or other areas of the panels that would later be welded were stripped of paint and prepared for welding, the scuttle had minor rust-through spots that were repaired as well as a little seam sealer overlooked in the stripping and left by the blasting, the rear bulkhead, rear seat and kick panels were assembled together, the front cross panel was then repaired with the heavily rusted end-pieces removed and the new replacements mounted, the front wheel arches were patched so that they could be re-used.

This has gotten to the point where these can all now be assembled into a completed chassis & inner body. Unfortunately my wife fell ill and was hospitalized for 10 days in September and needed time to recover at home as well. This, along with all the usual scurrying about with the start of a new school year at the University sufficed to put all the planned late summer construction on hold.

Year 5: 2006

To Come! Heavy welding- the scuttle mounted, front cross panel and inner wings, sills and front, main and rear floors, rear bulkhead, seat panels and boot floors, rear inner wings! ....Whew!

Year 6: 2007

To Come! Rough fitting outer body panels, Front Shroud mounted... then stalled....

Year 7: 2008

To Come!

Year 8: 2009

To Come!