Don’t forget that most of the Triumph TRs, the MGB and the Jensen Interceptor were styled by Italians! The TR6 was by Karmann, so German. Lotus Esprit - Italian. Aston Martin DB5 - Italian. But - Jaguar XK120 & XK150, D type, E type, XJ-S - Sir William Lyons and Malcolm Sayer, Austin Healey 3000 - Donald Healey - British.
My BJ8 with decent all season radials was predictable on the limit. I feel many folks these days just don't have the seat of the pants feel to be comfortable pushing this era of sports car. I grew up driving Triumphs, Jags, MGs and Austin Healeys, as well as racing and autocrossing them. Not only do you need to have/develop that feel, the requisite skill for that style of driving isn't always easily acquired. But attain that skill and every drive becomes a rewarding adventure. Love the 3000, this video reminds me I need another one.
This was my Healey and after Jack filmed it, I put brand new Michelin XAS tyres on it having realised on the drive down how the existing Continental tyres had gone past their sell by date! Jack if you had tested it now , it would have felt like a completely different car !! I think we were both scared to throw it around in the rain. For anyone who is interested the continental tyres were put on the car in 2015 and over time , together with the fact that the car had been sitting in the same place for a few years , meant that they had flat spots and had hardened ! Definitely not good when it’s wet!
I think I can speak for most viewers of car channels. We salute you guys for the dedication of keeping these wonderful vehicles on the road and allowing us this access to them. Many thanks and please keep up the good work. You have an absolutely marvelous and iconic car. Total respect.
Aha! Tyres are so key to grip and handling, and they do go off with time. Thanks for posting this. What a shame Jack didn't get to do this video with the Michelins!
He did give it a pretty good review though! It is a good looking car, but they almost ruined it with the rear "seats". I do like the 100 a bit better. But some 3000s are 2 seaters....or? I haven't done my homework on these cars as of yet.
The A-H kept Jensen going. The body was made by Pressed Steel and delivered to Jensen who mated it with the running gear and trim. They did the same with the Sunbeam Tiger. I have a photograph of the A-H 300 production line and the Tiger line running side by side in the West Brom factory. Sadly for Jensen, both contracts ended at the same time in 1967 and Jensen only just survived to produce the Interceptor.
My 1967 3000 MK III drove and handled wonderfully! My wife and I traveled in it on long tours from our home in the mid Atlantic USA to and through the Rocky Mountains. It’s electric overdrive made the Great Plains of the USA fly past. I should never have sold it! 😢
I have lusted over the 3000 Mk3 for over twenty years now. As a former MG owner it was a natural progression but sadly prices are way out of my league now. And the colours would have to be the classic ‘Ice Blue over Ivory’. Surely one of Britain’s most beautiful sports cars.
I had a chance to buy a red 3000 in 1969 for $1,500! Perfect condition. Drove it all over our Navy base in Rota, Spain. Couldn't have loved a car more. Alas, I didn't have $1,500. I didn't have $500! One of the great regrets of my life was not buying that beautiful car.
Healey blue over white--classic! Yes, prices are sky high...how I wish I could have had one instead of my 1967 MGB-GT. I love the MGB (stored now), but my Dad convinced me that the Healey was a rougher ride, trickier gearbox, etc. One day....
We worked on one. We installed an electronic Ignition system, Iridium Spark Plugs, Opened up the exhaust system more and better shocks. The performance was impressive.
There was a Rootes-offered upgrade, that turned a 3000 into a nasty, very competitive rallye/vintage race car. On TH-cam, there is a video taken (inside the car) of a dude ramming that Big Healey, with straight-cut gears and 250hp, right past most all of the vintage competition, at SPA!...The Healey sounded like an enraged bull!
Compared to the behemoths treading the roads in the USA during the late 1950's and early 1960's the Austin Healey was quite civilized. Amazing stuff on that car; disc brakes, rack and pinion steering and a low center of gravity, it made me a True Believer. Thanks for the great video.
I only drove Austin-Healey 100, the 4-cylinder one, and man, there is something about these heavy, deliberate controls, firm ride and feeling siting more outside of the car than inside it that really appeals to me. And I own Lotus, Lotus Excel but still a Lotus. It is a quintessential man's car (funnily enought, that Healey 100 I drove is owned by a very nice, middle-aged lady), you have to wrestle with it a bit, make an effort and get good to really drive it well. It has a personality of it's own. I really, really like it, it makes every ride feel special.
The Austin Healey 3000 Mk.III is one of my favourite cars. I've done quite a few miles in one over the years. I don't think it's that heavy to drive and really it's just a big, friendly old softie. The Big Healey is definitely a car where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. A point to note is that the overdrive should work on 3rd and 4th, giving six gears. However, overdrive cars have a slightly lower ratio back axle. Apparently a good modification is to swap the back axle from a non-overdrive car to get slightly longer gearing. I'm surprised that you didn't mention the straight-cut first gear, with its distinctive whine. Don't forget to practice your double declutching, if you want to select first on the move. And pop the lever into second, before selecting first, if you have been idling in neutral for any time.
The BJ8 would indicate 95mph in OD third, and over 120 in OD forth, so the claimed 122 was probably achievable without a taller diff. The big twin exhaust made lots of crackling noises after that, a bit of a workout for the flexis. ;-) I moved the OD switch to a leather trimmed gear knob, like the works cars, fitted an Escort reverse light switch to the gear change extension, and changed it to negative earth for the Pioneer 8 track player. Fun times!
I think you should try a 1955 Austin-Healey 100M, as it is lighter and more fun. I had one in the 1970’s when they cost £150! It had a 3-speed gearbox but overdrive gave it an extra gear. There were factory produced ones or a kit of parts could upgrade a basic car to 100M specification. My car was an original factory one. It succumbed to rust and I sold it to a restoration company as a MoT failure. It was black with brown leather seats. Another car I should have kept!! The 3000 was more of a GT car for long-distance family touring.
The Austin healey is a very nice car. I have a 3000 mk2 ( tri-carb). Think the mk2 looks a bit better than mk3. It is perfect for backroads and up to 60-70 mph. I have been past 100 mph but is is best at lower speeds. Have driven it for length on motorways at 80-90 mph and it is OK and pulls well. It looks very good ( especially with lower suspension in the rear). And it demands little maintenance. I have no problem with steering, clutch, gearchanges, brakes ( they are a bit weak, though) and have been driving the car since the 90`s when I got my driving licence. It`s nimble and a joy to drive. Nice car!
What about trying to keep those three carbs in equal tune?...Not a problem? I do agree with you, that the older Healeys somehow look a little more sleek, less bulbous, etc. Problem was, the older ones, like the 1959 I owned years ago, suffered from limited ground clearance...I had sold my Healey (sad!) to a ditzy airline stewardess, who sent me a small letter a few months later...she had driven over a rock, that had damaged the underside of the car...she continued to drive, until the engine seized!...She junked that wonderful sports car. I am still saddened to think about that!
I drove a brand-new one in the 1960s. Fun to watch them in vintage sports car races on TH-cam. Most British cars are not running well because they have 2 or 3 SU carburetors. You need a mechanic who knows how to work on British cars.
As a kid in the 80's I used to read the adventures of Langelot. A young French spy in the the post war era. One of his vehicles of choice was the Austin Healy. Nice memories! Thanks for yet another great installment! Greetings from the Netherlands
Lovely old cars the Austin Healey 3000, ' the big Healey;. I agree it looks good from any angle and the interior in this one is well kept. Interesting review Jack thank you. 👍👍
I hired one for a long weekend a few years ago. It looked beautiful, and sounded great, but it felt like a car from the 50s. I now own a series 2 Alfa Spider, and that feels so much lighter and nicer to drive despite only being about 10 years younger.
Very nice video on my least favorite British sports Car! As a mid-teen, I was totally in love with the Austin Healy 100-4. It looked so much better as a real two-seater, than the later 3000 with room for a back seat - Ha! The 4-speed transmission had one gear locked out because originally it was a truck transmission with wrong ratios for a sports car. And don’t forget the windscreen that could by lowered in a very innovative way. Unfortunately, I never did get an Austin Healy. A good friend was racing XK Jaguars, and I fell under his spell and bought a thoroughly used XK120FHC. That adventure taught me how to repair virtually everything in the car, and eventually to a series of new Corvettes. I still wouldn’t mind having an Austin Healy 100 in the garage.
The original 100 models, IMO, were the most sleek, handsome of the Healeys...and the 100S models were quite quick, even though only 4 cylinders were on tap! But the brutishly loud sound of that large six, was music to my ears!
The source of this car is of course the Austin Atlantic. And this is great because my recently restored Atlantic has all new engine parts for the nearly 2.7 litre engine from the Healey specialists. This engine has lots of torque and for 1948 it is very impressive. Not many cars in 1948 could be tuned to100mph. The front and rear suspension and drive train and many other parts clearly share Atlantic heritage. However Healey 100/4 has a complex very strong and very light body that really sets the Healey apart. Healey also modified the engine with double valve springs and a different cam. Many Healeys were kept on the road from cannibalised Atlantic's. I like fact that today the Healeys incredible success has helped me keep our Atlantic's alive.
There is one of these where I live (Whangarei, New Zealand) with a Chrysler 265 (4 litre) engine, 5 speed gearbox and a different diff fitted, the engine reportedly makes around 300 HP and 350 lb/ft torque, so I imagine it's a bit of a handful!
@@TeaParty1776well thats absolutely true im sure it does , the MG was designed in 1960 , first produced 1962, The Miata is 30 years newer. BUT, the MG feels fantastic to drive .
@@chrisadams6595 A friend w/a British racing green MGB taught me how to drive sports cars. He worked as an oil delivery truck driver and knew how to compensate for the continually decreased amount of oil sloshing about as he drove around corners.
Had a '62 Healy MK 2000, war spoils of Vietnam, in '69. It had side curtains not roll up windows, torquey 6 cylinder engine, same as London taxicabs, 3 SU carbs in parallel, infamous Lucas electrical system that wouldn't start the car on a muggy morning, and a hesitant solenoid operated over-drive appropriate only for high speed cruising. It handled with muscular authority exactly like the one above. Compared to the boats Detroit was selling, it was a whole new thrilling experience. Used to race guys in their Pontiac GTOs down main street Frederick, MD. They'd beat me off the line, but then I'd always out-torque them in 3rd gear. Sold it a year later for what I paid for it, $1200. It rode so low, the muffler, right inside the rocker panel, hit the pavement going onto a driveway, so had to drive up on them at an angle. It was a very sexy car for its day.
The first sports car I fell in love with in 1953 was the Austin Healey 100-4. It had the perfect lines and the perfect sound. More modern than the MGs, more light a sporty than the Jags, and in black with a red interior it was everything my eleven year old heart could dream of. Thanks for getting me back in touch those cars and days.
While I think the 6cyl engine of those 3000 models was transformative, those early Healey 100 models, with their big 4 cylinder engines, were somehow the sleekest, best-looking of Healeys, IMO.
Some guys have all the luck 😏 I turn shades of green watching you drive one gorgeous machine after another. Just a point - my first car was a C reg and was 1965. Keep them coming.
@@marcob4630 I've owned LandCruisers for the past 30 years, it's a different kind of fun, but don't ask me about my Series II Rover work vehicle in the early '70s! 😖
My 1960 BT7 was 10 years old when the refinement of a '67 BJ8 convinced me make up a pair. Ice, even black, was just a fun game at near the ton, and wet roads through hedgerows of spray from the front only became uncomfortable as the hood lifted from the top screen rail at that speed, to soak the drivers lap. Eventual replacement of the common Pirellis with Michelins made a huge difference, as did Konis all round. Problem now is that 50 years have elapsed since my ownership, the cars are showing their age, and expectations have been shaped by bureaucrats, not drivers!
Very nice car. I love the derpy adorable face these cars have with the hood scoop it looks like it has a mowhawk. Thank you for showcasing these older cars. Keep up the good work.
@@curbozerboomer1773 Well, mine was solid and never had any issues with it for the few years I owned it. Only reason I sold it was because I lived in the deep south of the US and VERY hot. No A/C and the black seats, and black canvas top made it unbearable in the summer months. I drive Toyota 4-Runners and Tacoma pick-ups now. Won't buy any from the American Big Three manufacturers.
Best built car you ever owned? Makes me doubt you ever owned one. The engineering on these cars was primitive. Suspension ridiculous, body work rots out on all of them.
@@johnmalenchek6597 ...you are referring to how the underside was "finished" ...NOTHING to do with how well it was built. Try to open your brain. I have owned one since 1972. I know what I am talking about. A very solid and tight car. .
Hi Jack, Good to see you with a really great car. I have the same model you are driving and a 1962 triple carb model. I did thousands of miles in european rallies in one of these and they definitely are long distance cars. Mods to the front suspension can improve the general steering and handling. I once drove back from lake garda at 80mph through italy and france no problem, however. being behind the wheel for eight hours per day certainly gives you a good nights sleep.
Fifty odd years ago when I bought my first 911 I looked at one of these. A neighbor who was versed in British cars warned I wouldn't enjoy it as it was "truck-ish" compared to the Porsche. I still love the look of the A-H but I don't regret passing on one.
I was lucky enough to own a red Mark 3, phase 2 was about 7 years and only sold due lack of garage space and changed circumstances. To think Jack summed it up nicely it is a lovely place to be sat in and yes there are faults but this is the character of the car and I never tired at just looking at it, as well cruising around countryside roads.
I had a Mark 1 (I think it was a 60 maybe a 61) during the summer of 67 when I was in college. it was only my second sports car, I had driven a Corvair Monza spider the last couple years of high school, so I knew about oversteer. The Austin Healy was a dream to drive for that time. Certainly slow by today’s standards, but considerably faster than the many four-cylinder sports cars available. It was not as refined as later models as I got to drive a mark two owned buy a friend. It was definitely fast enough to outrun a cop I saw parked on a side road. Of course those days the cops drove nearly stock big American iron cornered like a bulldozer. I only kept it for the summer, as is typical with British sports cars of that era, parts fell off about as fast as I could glue them back on. I had to sell it when I returned to college, it never would’ve made the trip from Pennsylvania to Colorado. I certainly have great memories of that car. It had a very peculiar exhaust note that sounded like a bird call and I nicknamed it “the gray canary“. It certainly was one of the more fun cars I’ve ever owned.
I always admired the big Healey, but had never had the chance to drive one. Fairly amazing, considering the number of cars I'd owned even at a fairly young age. Then I got a call from an old friend. I'd just gotten back from Vietnam and was footloose and fancy free, and Ronnie needed his '67 Healey transported from San Jose to Key West. He'd finished his tour and had gotten the plumb assignment to Naval Station Key West...about as far as you could get from Vietnam and still be in the USA! I was in Santa Barbara, so I grabbed a girlfriend and we rode the Greyhound to San Jose to be met by Ronnie's Mum. Car cleaned up nicely (it only had 15k miles on it) and we were on our way. Decided to take the scenic route, since we had 10 days to make the drive of roughly 3400 miles in those days with the US Interstate system not quite completed. Then the fun began... We had decided to go to Reno, then drive down to Las Vegas, enjoying the lack of a speed limit in Nevada. Well, we limped into Reno, running on about 31/2 cylinders. I found a nice little garage, and the mechanic took one look under the bonnet and pronounced, "Rats!" Seems the northern California rodents had developed a taste for English wiring. Old Joe Lucas would have been proud. We spent a couple enjoyable days in Reno having everything inspected and put right; it cost just under $100 which, even back then (1970) wasn't too much money. Hit the road to Vegas. Car was comfortable and plenty long-legged with the overdrive, but the exhaust ran right under the LHD drivers feet, and my heels were broiling! The cure was a couple cheap bath towels and a styrofoam cooler filled with ice and water...steam ensued. In Vegas, I found a place that sold sheets of heat insulation and mitigated the problem. For the rest of the highway journey we did just fine, even got about 20mpg at 75mph, which seemed good at the time ($0.35/gallon premium fuel). Our adventure led us to Virgnia and a jaunt down the storied Blue Ridge Parkway. This was not so much fun as I had hoped. Even with newish Pirelli Cinturatos and checked pressures, the car was lumbering and clumsy, nothing like my Alfa Veloce. Then there was the cowl shake. We didn't make the whole length of the Parkway, branching off to the Interstate in North Carolina. Back on the straight and wide, the Healey did just fine and got us into Key West a day early. We'd had fun, but I have never since had any urge to drive a big Healey. Once did the trick. Not really a good sprots car, but a pleasant turnpike cruiser up to 100mph (above that the dreaded cowl shake returned), once you got the insulation fixed. Still among the PRETTIEST of the "sports cars" of the period, though.
@@Schlipperschlopper My understanding is...the older, mid-50s 100M models, with a fairly powerful, 140hp four cylinder, and a sightly lighter chassis, was more of a true "sports car" than the Big Healeys. They were arguably more attractive, too.
@@ianrichardson3228 The car HAD Pirellis, and they were freshly balanced! On smooth pavement, it was fine, but on anything the least bit uneven, cowl shake. I went on to have a decent career racing F5000 and got in the car business managing a main dealer for Triiumph/Alpha/Citroen. Every now and then, we traded for a big Healey (which had gotten cheap by then), and they all had this characteristic. Still, that big torquey 6 and the lovely lines were great. On the whole, a TR6 was a better car, but not nearly so pretty.
How much might the better impression over the original might be due to tyres? The first reviews might have been on cross-plies, while it's almost certainly on radials now. With a few exceptions, changing to modern tyres dramatically improves most vehicles.
Here in the US, most tires are considered a safety hazard after 8 years on the road-regardless of mileage...the rubber compounds in the tires simply break down with time, increasing the chance of tire failure. And yes--for sure, modern radial tires are superior, even when considering a classic vehicle...My advice is, always buy the best tires you can possibly afford! Safety is important.
A wealthy frfiend of mine (here in Massachusetts) invited me to drive this very model. He apologized for the 'coal cart' ride but explained that these machines are all about "drift" (deliberately kicking the tail out) going around corners. He further explained that the more grippy modern (and greatly improved) tires did this chassis no favors. The 3000 was a design for its time, and like so many other British sports car designs, often designed on the back of and envelope, outclassed everything else available at the time.
Owned an ex-SCCA C Production 100-6 back in the Sixties. Besides the car's very late breakaway there was also the tendency of the exhaust system to be torn off at the slightest provocation.
Thank you watch that landau cover flap around brought back memories.I had A red 65' mark III black top with glass rear window and Black seats /interior. My back seat was one piece two bucket shapes. My dog Sam(a black puli) loved it but he perfered shotgun gave the girls a huff or two as he resigned to the spacious rear seat . loved those back roads.
This YT post caught my eye, as a neighbor of mine back in the mid-1960s had the left-hand drive US model of this same car, where sadly, he lost his life when the car lost control on a mountain road. It was mystery back then how the crash happened, but from my observations with how he drove it back then at elevated speeds in the neighborhood; combined with, years later, having an awareness of the car's handling, the guy probably pushed the handling envelope a bit too far on that mountain road.
The "Big Healey" was a 100/6, through the latter part of 1959. Then is when production of the 3000 began. I have owned 2 '59 BN6 [two seat] 100/6 cars, as well as a 1964 BN7 car, a 3000 MK II, which was also a two seat variant. Fantastic driving vehicles - when it is dry! Good tires make a huge difference. BTW, the transmissions, with overdrive, were overdriven both in 3rd and 4th gear, essentially making it a 6 speed.
OMG..my car in mid 60s on Capetown. Had a Cobra exhaust system and when driving along the seaside in Seapoint it got more attention than the fancy Italians.. Unbelievable easy to drive and easy to repair.. Driving from Capetown to Johannesburg absolutely a dream because the roads in yhose days in excellent condition and almost empty.. Unbelievable fantastic experience
That's a really nice example you got to drive Jack. I must admit to never having much time for the big Healeys and looked at them as being a rather crude lash up of bits from the BMC bin thrown, along with a ship anchor of an engine, into a pretty body. But I get that many can fall in love with them for a certain charm they have and they did of course have a decent competition record too.
Crude they were, but their toughness shone in rallies. I recall a photograph in one of the contemporary motor mags of the collapsed rear wheel of one of the 200hp works cars on something like the Rome-Liege-Rome event. The driver - John Gott, perhaps? - had driven, on the rimless spokes, at 10/10ths for the rest of the stage. The wheel was replaced and the ol' brute motorvated on, unruffled.
Those Rootes Rallye modified Healeys, were offering 248hp in their highest modification..Truly amazing powerhouses on the race track...they could keep pace, and sometimes overtake XKEs, depending on how daring the drivers were!
My dad bought a metallic blue Austin Healey, 3000 Mark III in 1968. It was a US version. It was a beautiful car, and I was lucky enough to get to drive it after I got my drivers license. It required quite a bit of regular maintenance. But I have such fond memories of this car.
I had a 100-6 Healey and loved it. I later owned two different versions of the AC Cobra which I think were inspired by the the Healey. Mine was a silver-blue body with an off-white side insert. Flipping the little switch to go into overdrive was always a great feeling. The engine roar would drop immediately and the car would almost sigh at the rpm loss. A great car to drive.
My Healey was also a 100-six, 1959. I am not quite sure why there even was a 100-six model?!...I mean, my car had no back seats, just some sort of storage ledge situation. Otherwise, the 3000 models were just the same as my car.
I bought a 3000 mk 3 back in 1967 while in the navy. I kept it several years until I traded it for a larger vehicle after I got married. Loved it. Wish I still had it. Great lines. Wire wheels. Everything just WOW!!!!😊
Owned 2 MGB’s at different times years ago. An acquaintance had a Healy making me jealous. Having heard this, I’m satisfied and would again go with B’s (my love to this day). Thanks, now I’ve got the bug again. 😎
With the top up, even down for that matter, the sound of the carburettors just dominates. You can hear them breathing, I can still hear this sound some 50 years later- even with my eyes open! And the steering wheel in your chest. Don't recall the steering being heavy though ... Yes, the mufflers WILL drag over speed bumps. So British, such a beautiful car, mine had the driving lights and luggage rack too. I've had my Midgets, MGB's, TR3's, but the Big Healey was a rank above for sure. Just be wary of the tail wanting to come around under spirited driving- see my other post up. Back when I had that car I had a few dates with a secretary at work who had a 64 XKE. Life was good now that I think about it. Thanks for bringing this all back to me! Cheers!
I remember the Austin Healy quite well. A neighbor had one. They were a cut above my pay grade and range as a teenager. I was originally a Sunbeam Alpine guy. Then a Triumph TR4A IRS, then a TR4, then an MGBGT, then finally a Triumph Spitfire. Loved the TRs and the Spitfire felt like a poor man's XKE. They were underpowered and antiquated, but eccentric and just had that class and joy to drive about them. Unique. Would loved to have had a Healey.
I had a '63 MKII back in the 70s. One of my all time favorite cars, and I've had Porsches, Jaguars, hot Mustangs and Trans Ams etc. Someone once said that the way they made made those cars handle was by not allowing the suspension to work. When I took my Dad for a ride he swore he could tell if it was heads or tails when we drove over a dime. I didn't care. It looked and sounded sublime, it had great torque, could cruise at 80mph, and you could power slide and 4 wheel drift it if you knew what you were doing. Still beautiful today.
You impress me with your passion and wisdom and all round love of reviewing all sorts of cars from different eras! Don’t change a thing! I would open arms let you take my cars but there’s a catch.. I’m in Australia! Keep up the great work!
A pal of mine owned one of these in the late 1970s, and though he never invited me to drive it, I did get out for some time in the passenger seat, which I remember fondly as a very solid, tasteful early mid-century sports car experience, unsophisticated, not terribly fast, but so, so enjoyable, everything tactile, and audible in a wonderful way. Hilariously, my own daily driver, then, was a 1952 Chevrolet pick up truck, also powered by a big, lumbering straight six engine! I miss them both.
To judge the car against the old road tests you’d have to try it on Dunlop cross-plies. You don’t say what this one had but the original tyres would have made the ride harder and the steering lighter than on modern radials.
I had two Mk 3's over the years. Lived in Brixton & no one ever bothered trying to steal them! Used to roar up the M40 at 80mph regularly on the way to work. Favourite car of the era. Passed up an Aston to purchase the second. Brilliant fun, fond memories.
You need someone who really knows how to work on these British cars, especially with 2 or 3 SU carburetors. Finally, in the last ~10 years, the Austin-Healy has been recognized as one of the best classic British sports cars. My uncle, Dick Anderson, was a top BMC mechanic who worked at John Bull Motors in Santa Cruz, California. I went with him to many road coarse races on the West Coast of California in the 1960s and 1970s.
Friend of mine had a 3000 back in the day, it was a beast. It had a LOUD Canadian Stebro exhaust that would hit the pavement on hard right turns. There are a few around here in New Hampshire now, I think they are among the most beautiful British cars made, second only to the E-Type. I rebuilt a 100M body, they have a very simple chassis. This car does seem to sit high on its suspension, maybe if it were more settled it would corner better.
People were complaining about the lack of ground clearance, so from late 1963 on, there was a bit more space offered...The joke about the older Healeys was, that if one drove over a freshly-painted crosswalk, you might lost the muffler!
Love seeing you do these older cars that lay the foundation for the 60s. It would be fun to hear your take on an MGA twin cam or an old MG T that was used for racing.
A good pal of my father purchased a big Healey from a scrapyard together with the engine and transmission of a equally scrapped 220 Mercedes. He slapped the drivetrain into the Healey, considerably widened the track (and the wheel arches) and converted the Merc column shift into a makeshift floor shifter. He wanted to achieve something of a cheap AC Cobra for himself. Crazy, never happened you say? This was in the late 1960s and he did this in his spare time between graduating and army duty. He had an awful lot of fun with it (tearing up Ford Mustangs on mountain roads and scaring girlfriends on the Italian autostrada) but had to let it go once he entered university. Now the unbelievable part of the story: 30 years later he tried to trace the whereabouts of his old car… and succeeded. The car basically retained his modifications and was now in the possession of an equally minded new owner. They both(!) gave it much needed repairs and brought it back on the road in its modded state. It received a german historic registration because all its modifications could be considered period correct tuning.
I have driven a very nice 1959 Austin Healey this year. It’s all about the nostalgia and the ambiance. Jack is quite right it’s a refined car for its day and would have seemed relatively quick in period but in modern terms it’s quite lethargic. Very direct offset clunky but pleasing gear shift and super heavy and quite dead feeling steering. No door or wing mirrors just a tiny dash mounted rear view. I liked it but far too valauable to try throwing it about. Nevertheless a charming time piece for the well heeled and hairy of chest!
I owned one of these back in the late 60's, with brand new Michelin's under it I just had to see if it would do the 'advertised' 120mph. So yeh....and being just 3.5" off the ground, it seemed WAY faster. First and last time I ever risked it....but I loved that car. -Veteran '66-68
Boy, did this bring back memories. I didn't buy my first car until I was out of the US Army for half a year. which means I bought it in December of 1962. It was a white 1957 Austin Healey 100-6 (which was the first year they offered it w/a six cylinder engine), red leather interior, Laycock-DeNormanville (if memory serves) electric overdrive that worked in both third and fourth, electric fuel pump (mounted outside of the tank) and wire wheels with "Do" and "Undo" directional knockoffs. I paid $1,800.00 for it off the lot and they even offered me a 1960 Triumph TR-3 for the same price, but my heart was set on the Healey. I think I put Pirelli's on it. T'was a great car as long as I had it. I even, at one point, had an Austin Mini - not the 1100 cc Mini Cooper, but the 850 cc version of the same body style. I'll never forget the first time I drove it I was on the freeway (Southern California) and, when I thought about changing lanes it suddenly was there - in the new lane. That was an attention getter and, once learned, the maneuverability was quite enjoyable - and handy. Anyway, as many of the entertainers of my parents era would say: "Thanks for the memories".
Yeah...the 57-59 100 six models had a six cylinder...but it was not as large as the 3 litre six that showed up in the 3000 models...Like you, I owned a 100-six, but was frustrated to find out that the later 3000 models had the bigger, stronger engines. Our models had a 2600cc version-117 hp.
@@curbozerboomer1773, Yep, at 22 lbs per horsepower they weighed 2,574 lbs. But the girls in LA & Orange County in the early '60's didn't care about that. :)
Thanks for doing this review. Back in the late 1970s a good friend of my brother's (and mine) had one of these. My brother had a 1968 Triumph GT6, and I had a 1969 Austin Healey Sprite Mark IV. I remember one night we were over the friend's house playing cards. There were five of us. The three cars I mentioned were there as well as a Triumph Bonneville motorcycle (which I later bought and my now ex-wife made me get rid of) and another motorcycle (don't remember which type). At about 2AM we all left. All these vehicles were highly modified, and frankly loud. I wonder what the neighbors thought. My brother and his friend tore down and rebuilt the engine of the 3000 at one point. Of course, they put a hot cam in it and made other modifications. A boyhood friend who went to the US Naval Academy had an Austin Healey 100. Notice a pattern here. Actually, the guy who sold me the Bonneville also had an Alfa Romeo Giulietta, a 1964. He messed it up and my brother bought it from him. He totally restored it and still has it. He also recently tore apart the GT6 and put it back together. You should do a review of that car.
Thanks Jack, seems all your gym work has had an effect if it didn't seem that heavy to you?! An AH 3000 will always have the classic appeal, looked a really good example! 🙏🙏
Back in the mid seventies I had a MKI/2-seat 3000, I feel it was more of a sports car, as opposed to the example here. Also, the MKI was a true roadster where as The MKIII is a cabriolet/ touring car.
My original love. I dreamed about that car until I realized at 16 I could only afford one car that had to work in New England weather. But I stared at pictures of that car as much as a playboy center fold. A brand new Pontiac firebird convertible with a V8 and four or five on the floor was my consolation prize.
My father had a high end panel shop here in Sydney, our family car was a A95, it had a chip on first gear, so when I learnt to drive in 1969 we used a restoration of a Mk3 instead, including doing my driving test, the old school official was drooling over the car, I passed first attempt. My father was always British cars, I developed an expensive taste in Italian and Germany cars. My father helped me restore many Alfas, including a Duetta, 2000 Spyder, 2 x 105; 1750 and 2000GTV, I bought a new Alfetta GT, # 2 into the country. Alfasud Ti another 105. German 2002, 2002ti, 3 litre CSI, 528 Motorsport, another 3litre CSI & 3litre 911SC.......I miss my dad and all of his help !
Again, despite Three Marks, BMC never developed anything because they were too worried about costs. The ill fated Mark IV was to use a RR Princess 4 litre in lone six. BMC had been inspired by ARX 91B’s Targa Florio performance..almost with winning that race in Cerda should have inspired its owners. Instead of making it pass US and emerging Common Market crash legislation, the company killed it. The 5 speed IRS Datsun 240Z showed up the Big Healy as a crude anachronism.
Yeah...The 240Z even spelled the end for another Datsun sports car, the 1600, and 2000 series. The 2000 series was very robust, with a 150hp 4 cylinder engine. It was a very fun sports car, and clearly the design had been inspired by the MG series...but when the 240Z showed up, then 1970 became the last year for the very quick, but sort of anachronistic, 2000 model!
I was speaking to a 3000 owner at a car show here in Canada. He mentioned that its’ worst trait, particularly in summer, was the engine heat through the firewall that basically cooked his feet. Perhaps a bonus on a cool day in Blighty!
Great video, never actually seen a real driving perspective review of these before and always been fascinated with them. I also remember the auto knowledge section at the bag of the mag in the late 80's saying that you had to be hairy of chest to drive these...Lol.
Very interesting. I enjoyed the potted history especially. My late uncle had one of these back in the late 60's / early 70's and left a lasting impression on me as a young boy of of around 10 years old. I have always wanted one. Maybe I will after I have finished my current project.
I had the earlier 3000, same color, w/a bent shift and top stowed in the trunk. I outran a cop on a twisty road. And five (5) people can sit in it. I saw one like in the vid a few years ago, in perfect condition. I hsd to leave it w/my mechanic for six months. It started instantly on a snowy day. Of course, it sometimes didnt turn off...
It always amazes me on talking about bhp with old cars no one seems to mention ( or perhaps even know ) that the definition of bhp was changed in the 1980's. The 4.2 Jaguar engine fitted to the E-type, Mk. 10 and 420G for example was 265 bhp before the change and got reduced to 180 afterwards, not negligable at all. So anyone not knowing or forgetting about the change is going to be a bit in the dark. Ever wondered why the 4.2 E-type never did make 150 mph whereas a modern car 265 bhp car can!?
I still remember the VIN of my silver blue 66 3000 some 50 years later, I don't know why. Bought it used, was 3-4 years old. Picked it up on what seemed to be the coldest Pennsylvania winter day ever. Gear oil was HEAVY, so hard to get the next gear! I can attest to the "sketchy handling" as I had a first hand experiences with the tail stepping out more than just once. No incidents though except ... Was out with a friend one night top down on a "back country", but nicely paved, road. It was dark so I could see headlights warning me of something coming the other way. So I was showing off. Remember the old white wooden guard rails they used to use with big bolts sticking thru holding the cables? Well on a right hander the tail came out, I corrected, but still ended up on the other side of the road tearing up the whole length of the driver's side of the car on those darn bolts. Stupid as it may sound I still had control of the car as sparks were flying so I just kept going without stopping to see the damage. Neither of us said a word to each other as it was happening. Finally about a mile up the road, my friend looked over at me and said, and I quote exactly- "Boy, doesn't that piss you off every time that happens". After I dropped off my friend and got home I couldn't open the driver's door. It was bad, such a beautiful car and look what I did to it! Got it fixed, but sold it and bought a used 64 1/2 271 horse 289 Mustang. Two of SO many cars I wish I had back.
I had a 1961 MGA Mark2 and always wanted a Healey 3000 Mark3 but time and family was more important, so later in life I got a 1990 Mazda Miata ,I installed a supercharger and all the other upgrades but keep the outside stock much faster then the Healey but didn’t have that British feel like my MG
My uncle used to garage his car at a small BMC dealership on the south side of Glasgow in the 60s.the owner had a Healy 3000 in red and black,and I recall as a small boy being given a couple of short runs in it,he changed it eventually for a wolseley 6/110....
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One of my favorite cars of all time. You Brits sure can design beautiful roadsters and GT’s.
Used to be able too! The TR6 is my personal favourite.
Don’t forget that most of the Triumph TRs, the MGB and the Jensen Interceptor were styled by Italians! The TR6 was by Karmann, so German. Lotus Esprit - Italian. Aston Martin DB5 - Italian. But - Jaguar XK120 & XK150, D type, E type, XJ-S - Sir William Lyons and Malcolm Sayer, Austin Healey 3000 - Donald Healey - British.
@@simonhodgetts6530 touchet!
Thanks.
Yes, we used to. Those days are long gone by now though.
Aston DB4GT Zagato styled by ITALIAN 😅
I love the frontal treatment - there's a definite face there and it's smiling at you, saying, "Be careful, chum, or I'll bite you!"
Wicked, cheeky grin!!
There is nothing like driving a Healey at full chat. The sound and handling is off the charts, the car looks beautiful, and it’s easy to work on.
If I correctly recall, in 2nd gear at 2000rpm, there is a beautiful resonance from the exhaust.
Always loved the way the Healey 3000 mklll looked and sounded a truly British traditional sports car
My BJ8 with decent all season radials was predictable on the limit. I feel many folks these days just don't have the seat of the pants feel to be comfortable pushing this era of sports car. I grew up driving Triumphs, Jags, MGs and Austin Healeys, as well as racing and autocrossing them. Not only do you need to have/develop that feel, the requisite skill for that style of driving isn't always easily acquired. But attain that skill and every drive becomes a rewarding adventure. Love the 3000, this video reminds me I need another one.
This was my Healey and after Jack filmed it, I put brand new Michelin XAS tyres on it having realised on the drive down how the existing Continental tyres had gone past their sell by date! Jack if you had tested it now , it would have felt like a completely different car !! I think we were both scared to throw it around in the rain.
For anyone who is interested the continental tyres were put on the car in 2015 and over time , together with the fact that the car had been sitting in the same place for a few years , meant that they had flat spots and had hardened ! Definitely not good when it’s wet!
I put new front tires on my Miata this week and I couldn't believe the improvement in handling quietness and smoothness. Buck
I think I can speak for most viewers of car channels. We salute you guys for the dedication of keeping these wonderful vehicles on the road and allowing us this access to them. Many thanks and please keep up the good work. You have an absolutely marvelous and iconic car. Total respect.
Aha! Tyres are so key to grip and handling, and they do go off with time. Thanks for posting this. What a shame Jack didn't get to do this video with the Michelins!
Be more flexible....not everything covered by rubber, feels bad when wet....
He did give it a pretty good review though!
It is a good looking car, but they almost ruined it with the rear "seats". I do like the 100 a bit better.
But some 3000s are 2 seaters....or? I haven't done my homework on these cars as of yet.
The A-H kept Jensen going. The body was made by Pressed Steel and delivered to Jensen who mated it with the running gear and trim. They did the same with the Sunbeam Tiger. I have a photograph of the A-H 300 production line and the Tiger line running side by side in the West Brom factory. Sadly for Jensen, both contracts ended at the same time in 1967 and Jensen only just survived to produce the Interceptor.
And the volvo p1800 as well.
I think the running gear went in at Abingdon. Jensen sent out painted, trimmed shells.
My 1967 3000 MK III drove and handled wonderfully! My wife and I traveled in it on long tours from our home in the mid Atlantic USA to and through the Rocky Mountains. It’s electric overdrive made the Great Plains of the USA fly past. I should never have sold it! 😢
I have lusted over the 3000 Mk3 for over twenty years now. As a former MG owner it was a natural progression but sadly prices are way out of my league now. And the colours would have to be the classic ‘Ice Blue over Ivory’. Surely one of Britain’s most beautiful sports cars.
I had a chance to buy a red 3000 in 1969 for $1,500! Perfect condition. Drove it all over our Navy base in Rota, Spain. Couldn't have loved a car more. Alas, I didn't have $1,500. I didn't have $500! One of the great regrets of my life was not buying that beautiful car.
I believe this: it has been always my dream car! @@MrHambone43
Healey blue over white--classic!
Yes, prices are sky high...how I wish I could have had one instead of my 1967 MGB-GT. I love the MGB (stored now), but my Dad convinced me that the Healey was a rougher ride, trickier gearbox, etc.
One day....
We worked on one. We installed an electronic Ignition system, Iridium Spark Plugs, Opened up the exhaust system more and better shocks. The performance was impressive.
There was a Rootes-offered upgrade, that turned a 3000 into a nasty, very competitive rallye/vintage race car. On TH-cam, there is a video taken (inside the car) of a dude ramming that Big Healey, with straight-cut gears and 250hp, right past most all of the vintage competition, at SPA!...The Healey sounded like an enraged bull!
Compared to the behemoths treading the roads in the USA during the late 1950's and early 1960's the Austin Healey was quite civilized. Amazing stuff on that car; disc brakes, rack and pinion steering and a low center of gravity, it made me a True Believer. Thanks for the great video.
One of my all time favourite cars, just love the way they look, don't even need to drive it, just park it in a garage and drool🙂
Not a line out of place!
Around 1960, one of my neighbors in Sacramento, California had an Austin-Healy with a Chevy 283ci V8. It was dangerously fast.
I only drove Austin-Healey 100, the 4-cylinder one, and man, there is something about these heavy, deliberate controls, firm ride and feeling siting more outside of the car than inside it that really appeals to me. And I own Lotus, Lotus Excel but still a Lotus. It is a quintessential man's car (funnily enought, that Healey 100 I drove is owned by a very nice, middle-aged lady), you have to wrestle with it a bit, make an effort and get good to really drive it well. It has a personality of it's own. I really, really like it, it makes every ride feel special.
The Austin Healey 3000 Mk.III is one of my favourite cars. I've done quite a few miles in one over the years. I don't think it's that heavy to drive and really it's just a big, friendly old softie. The Big Healey is definitely a car where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. A point to note is that the overdrive should work on 3rd and 4th, giving six gears. However, overdrive cars have a slightly lower ratio back axle. Apparently a good modification is to swap the back axle from a non-overdrive car to get slightly longer gearing. I'm surprised that you didn't mention the straight-cut first gear, with its distinctive whine. Don't forget to practice your double declutching, if you want to select first on the move. And pop the lever into second, before selecting first, if you have been idling in neutral for any time.
I can remember, and totally relate to what you are saying!
The BJ8 would indicate 95mph in OD third, and over 120 in OD forth, so the claimed 122 was probably achievable without a taller diff. The big twin exhaust made lots of crackling noises after that, a bit of a workout for the flexis. ;-) I moved the OD switch to a leather trimmed gear knob, like the works cars, fitted an Escort reverse light switch to the gear change extension, and changed it to negative earth for the Pioneer 8 track player. Fun times!
I think you should try a 1955 Austin-Healey 100M, as it is lighter and more fun. I had one in the 1970’s when they cost £150! It had a 3-speed gearbox but overdrive gave it an extra gear. There were factory produced ones or a kit of parts could upgrade a basic car to 100M specification. My car was an original factory one. It succumbed to rust and I sold it to a restoration company as a MoT failure. It was black with brown leather seats. Another car I should have kept!!
The 3000 was more of a GT car for long-distance family touring.
The Austin healey is a very nice car. I have a 3000 mk2 ( tri-carb). Think the mk2 looks a bit better than mk3. It is perfect for backroads and up to 60-70 mph. I have been past 100 mph but is is best at lower speeds. Have driven it for length on motorways at 80-90 mph and it is OK and pulls well.
It looks very good ( especially with lower suspension in the rear). And it demands little maintenance.
I have no problem with steering, clutch, gearchanges, brakes ( they are a bit weak, though) and have been driving the car since the 90`s when I got my driving licence. It`s nimble and a joy to drive.
Nice car!
What about trying to keep those three carbs in equal tune?...Not a problem? I do agree with you, that the older Healeys somehow look a little more sleek, less bulbous, etc. Problem was, the older ones, like the 1959 I owned years ago, suffered from limited ground clearance...I had sold my Healey (sad!) to a ditzy airline stewardess, who sent me a small letter a few months later...she had driven over a rock, that had damaged the underside of the car...she continued to drive, until the engine seized!...She junked that wonderful sports car. I am still saddened to think about that!
I drove a brand-new one in the 1960s.
Fun to watch them in vintage sports car races on TH-cam.
Most British cars are not running well because they have 2 or 3 SU carburetors.
You need a mechanic who knows how to work on British cars.
Great to see these older cars tested and some urban myths busted, thanks Jack!
As a kid in the 80's I used to read the adventures of Langelot.
A young French spy in the the post war era.
One of his vehicles of choice was the Austin Healy.
Nice memories!
Thanks for yet another great installment!
Greetings from the Netherlands
Lovely old cars the Austin Healey 3000, ' the big Healey;. I agree it looks good from any angle and the interior in this one is well kept. Interesting review Jack thank you. 👍👍
Just like the MGC then! Heavy but adorable in a retrospective way. Many thanks for a great channel - always my 'go-to' for a classic car kick.
I found the MG B & C too cramped, like the TRs, and difficult to get into those small doors compared to the Big Healeys.
I hired one for a long weekend a few years ago. It looked beautiful, and sounded great, but it felt like a car from the 50s. I now own a series 2 Alfa Spider, and that feels so much lighter and nicer to drive despite only being about 10 years younger.
however it was sexy!
Very nice video on my least favorite British sports Car! As a mid-teen, I was totally in love with the Austin Healy 100-4. It looked so much better as a real two-seater, than the later 3000 with room for a back seat - Ha!
The 4-speed transmission had one gear locked out because originally it was a truck transmission with wrong ratios for a sports car. And don’t forget the windscreen that could by lowered in a very innovative way. Unfortunately, I never did get an Austin Healy. A good friend was racing XK Jaguars, and I fell under his spell and bought a thoroughly used XK120FHC. That adventure taught me how to repair virtually everything in the car, and eventually to a series of new Corvettes. I still wouldn’t mind having an Austin Healy 100 in the garage.
The original 100 models, IMO, were the most sleek, handsome of the Healeys...and the 100S models were quite quick, even though only 4 cylinders were on tap! But the brutishly loud sound of that large six, was music to my ears!
As classic cars go, they dont get much more "classic" than this ❤
I used to look after, MOT and drive these many years ago, mid-60s. One of my favourite cars. Great review!
Back in the day it was probably on skinny cross plys, wider radials are bound to make the steering heavy, sounded great,
Both mine were on radials, the BJ8 had a smaller leather trimmed alloy spoked wheel, and steering effort was no problem.
The source of this car is of course the Austin Atlantic. And this is great because my recently restored Atlantic has all new engine parts for the nearly 2.7 litre engine from the Healey specialists. This engine has lots of torque and for 1948 it is very impressive. Not many cars in 1948 could be tuned to100mph. The front and rear suspension and drive train and many other parts clearly share Atlantic heritage.
However Healey 100/4 has a complex very strong and very light body that really sets the Healey apart. Healey also modified the engine with double valve springs and a different cam. Many Healeys were kept on the road from cannibalised Atlantic's. I like fact that today the Healeys incredible success has helped me keep our Atlantic's alive.
There is one of these where I live (Whangarei, New Zealand) with a Chrysler 265 (4 litre) engine, 5 speed gearbox and a different diff fitted, the engine reportedly makes around 300 HP and 350 lb/ft torque, so I imagine it's a bit of a handful!
All those companies , Austin Healey, MG, Triumph, Jaguar , Jensen, Lotus, Morgan, .......so few left
The sports car mags say the Miata has better handling than the MG.
@@TeaParty1776well thats absolutely true im sure it does , the MG was designed in 1960 , first produced 1962,
The Miata is 30 years newer.
BUT, the MG feels fantastic to drive .
@@chrisadams6595 A friend w/a British racing green MGB taught me how to drive sports cars. He worked as an oil delivery truck driver and knew how to compensate for the continually decreased amount of oil sloshing about as he drove around corners.
Had a '62 Healy MK 2000, war spoils of Vietnam, in '69. It had side curtains not roll up windows, torquey 6 cylinder engine, same as London taxicabs, 3 SU carbs in parallel, infamous Lucas electrical system that wouldn't start the car on a muggy morning, and a hesitant solenoid operated over-drive appropriate only for high speed cruising. It handled with muscular authority exactly like the one above. Compared to the boats Detroit was selling, it was a whole new thrilling experience. Used to race guys in their Pontiac GTOs down main street Frederick, MD. They'd beat me off the line, but then I'd always out-torque them in 3rd gear. Sold it a year later for what I paid for it, $1200. It rode so low, the muffler, right inside the rocker panel, hit the pavement going onto a driveway, so had to drive up on them at an angle. It was a very sexy car for its day.
Those tri-carb models are very rare, and considered desirable now.
The triple carbs were a tuners nightmare, so larger twins with successive power upgrades quickly replaced them.
The first sports car I fell in love with in 1953 was the Austin Healey 100-4. It had the perfect lines and the perfect sound. More modern than the MGs, more light a sporty than the Jags, and in black with a red interior it was everything my eleven year old heart could dream of. Thanks for getting me back in touch those cars and days.
While I think the 6cyl engine of those 3000 models was transformative, those early Healey 100 models, with their big 4 cylinder engines, were somehow the sleekest, best-looking of Healeys, IMO.
Some guys have all the luck 😏 I turn shades of green watching you drive one gorgeous machine after another.
Just a point - my first car was a C reg and was 1965.
Keep them coming.
Great to see you doing some older cars. So much more character than modern cars, and some of them were pretty decent drives too.
not to compare with damned modern SUVs !
I later owned a '97 Celica GT4 for many years, and it certainly brought back memories of the BJ8.
@@marcob4630 I've owned LandCruisers for the past 30 years, it's a different kind of fun, but don't ask me about my Series II Rover work vehicle in the early '70s! 😖
My 1960 BT7 was 10 years old when the refinement of a '67 BJ8 convinced me make up a pair. Ice, even black, was just a fun game at near the ton, and wet roads through hedgerows of spray from the front only became uncomfortable as the hood lifted from the top screen rail at that speed, to soak the drivers lap. Eventual replacement of the common Pirellis with Michelins made a huge difference, as did Konis all round. Problem now is that 50 years have elapsed since my ownership, the cars are showing their age, and expectations have been shaped by bureaucrats, not drivers!
Very nice car. I love the derpy adorable face these cars have with the hood scoop it looks like it has a mowhawk. Thank you for showcasing these older cars. Keep up the good work.
Had a 1966 Healey back when it was new. Best built car I ever owned.
Remarcable that you said that!...Healeys were lovable, but not particularly well-built!
@@curbozerboomer1773 Well, mine was solid and never had any issues with it for the few years I owned it. Only reason I sold it was because I lived in the deep south of the US and VERY hot. No A/C and the black seats, and black canvas top made it unbearable in the summer months. I drive Toyota 4-Runners and Tacoma pick-ups now. Won't buy any from the American Big Three manufacturers.
Best built car you ever owned? Makes me doubt you ever owned one. The engineering on these cars was primitive. Suspension ridiculous, body work rots out on all of them.
@@johnmalenchek6597 ...you are referring to how the underside was "finished" ...NOTHING to do with how well it was built. Try to open your brain. I have owned one since 1972. I know what I am talking about. A very solid and tight car.
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@@curbozerboomer1773 ...please provide an explanation on how the vehicle was "not particularly well-built". It very easy to type words.
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Hi Jack, Good to see you with a really great car. I have the same model you are driving and a 1962 triple carb model. I did thousands of miles in european rallies in one of these and they definitely are long distance cars. Mods to the front suspension can improve the general steering and handling. I once drove back from lake garda at 80mph through italy and france no problem, however. being behind the wheel for eight hours per day certainly gives you a good nights sleep.
Fifty odd years ago when I bought my first 911 I looked at one of these. A neighbor who was versed in British cars warned I wouldn't enjoy it as it was "truck-ish" compared to the Porsche. I still love the look of the A-H but I don't regret passing on one.
I agree with your neighbor...but talk about the rear end instability!...The 911 was worse, IMO.
I was lucky enough to own a red Mark 3, phase 2 was about 7 years and only sold due lack of garage space and changed circumstances. To think Jack summed it up nicely it is a lovely place to be sat in and yes there are faults but this is the character of the car and I never tired at just looking at it, as well cruising around countryside roads.
I had a Mark 1 (I think it was a 60 maybe a 61) during the summer of 67 when I was in college. it was only my second sports car, I had driven a Corvair Monza spider the last couple years of high school, so I knew about oversteer. The Austin Healy was a dream to drive for that time. Certainly slow by today’s standards, but considerably faster than the many four-cylinder sports cars available. It was not as refined as later models as I got to drive a mark two owned buy a friend. It was definitely fast enough to outrun a cop I saw parked on a side road. Of course those days the cops drove nearly stock big American iron cornered like a bulldozer. I only kept it for the summer, as is typical with British sports cars of that era, parts fell off about as fast as I could glue them back on. I had to sell it when I returned to college, it never would’ve made the trip from Pennsylvania to Colorado. I certainly have great memories of that car. It had a very peculiar exhaust note that sounded like a bird call and I nicknamed it “the gray canary“. It certainly was one of the more fun cars I’ve ever owned.
I always admired the big Healey, but had never had the chance to drive one. Fairly amazing, considering the number of cars I'd owned even at a fairly young age. Then I got a call from an old friend. I'd just gotten back from Vietnam and was footloose and fancy free, and Ronnie needed his '67 Healey transported from San Jose to Key West. He'd finished his tour and had gotten the plumb assignment to Naval Station Key West...about as far as you could get from Vietnam and still be in the USA! I was in Santa Barbara, so I grabbed a girlfriend and we rode the Greyhound to San Jose to be met by Ronnie's Mum. Car cleaned up nicely (it only had 15k miles on it) and we were on our way. Decided to take the scenic route, since we had 10 days to make the drive of roughly 3400 miles in those days with the US Interstate system not quite completed. Then the fun began... We had decided to go to Reno, then drive down to Las Vegas, enjoying the lack of a speed limit in Nevada. Well, we limped into Reno, running on about 31/2 cylinders. I found a nice little garage, and the mechanic took one look under the bonnet and pronounced, "Rats!" Seems the northern California rodents had developed a taste for English wiring. Old Joe Lucas would have been proud. We spent a couple enjoyable days in Reno having everything inspected and put right; it cost just under $100 which, even back then (1970) wasn't too much money. Hit the road to Vegas. Car was comfortable and plenty long-legged with the overdrive, but the exhaust ran right under the LHD drivers feet, and my heels were broiling! The cure was a couple cheap bath towels and a styrofoam cooler filled with ice and water...steam ensued. In Vegas, I found a place that sold sheets of heat insulation and mitigated the problem. For the rest of the highway journey we did just fine, even got about 20mpg at 75mph, which seemed good at the time ($0.35/gallon premium fuel). Our adventure led us to Virgnia and a jaunt down the storied Blue Ridge Parkway. This was not so much fun as I had hoped. Even with newish Pirelli Cinturatos and checked pressures, the car was lumbering and clumsy, nothing like my Alfa Veloce. Then there was the cowl shake. We didn't make the whole length of the Parkway, branching off to the Interstate in North Carolina. Back on the straight and wide, the Healey did just fine and got us into Key West a day early. We'd had fun, but I have never since had any urge to drive a big Healey. Once did the trick. Not really a good sprots car, but a pleasant turnpike cruiser up to 100mph (above that the dreaded cowl shake returned), once you got the insulation fixed. Still among the PRETTIEST of the "sports cars" of the period, though.
we need a direct comparison of Austion Healy 3000, Mercedes Pagoda 230SL (hand shifted!) and Alfa 2600 Spider!
@@Schlipperschlopper My understanding is...the older, mid-50s 100M models, with a fairly powerful, 140hp four cylinder, and a sightly lighter chassis, was more of a true "sports car" than the Big Healeys. They were arguably more attractive, too.
@@Schlipperschlopper The 230SL was a brick!
Scuttle shake was not a problem on my '67, Pirellis and maybe a wheel balance would have solved it for you.
@@ianrichardson3228 The car HAD Pirellis, and they were freshly balanced! On smooth pavement, it was fine, but on anything the least bit uneven, cowl shake. I went on to have a decent career racing F5000 and got in the car business managing a main dealer for Triiumph/Alpha/Citroen. Every now and then, we traded for a big Healey (which had gotten cheap by then), and they all had this characteristic. Still, that big torquey 6 and the lovely lines were great. On the whole, a TR6 was a better car, but not nearly so pretty.
My mum still goes shopping to Sainsburys in hers every Thursday.
Go Mum!!!
How much might the better impression over the original might be due to tyres? The first reviews might have been on cross-plies, while it's almost certainly on radials now. With a few exceptions, changing to modern tyres dramatically improves most vehicles.
Here in the US, most tires are considered a safety hazard after 8 years on the road-regardless of mileage...the rubber compounds in the tires simply break down with time, increasing the chance of tire failure. And yes--for sure, modern radial tires are superior, even when considering a classic vehicle...My advice is, always buy the best tires you can possibly afford! Safety is important.
Nothing better after a stressful day at work to see an upload from Jack @ Number 27...... just what I needed to unwind 👍
A wealthy frfiend of mine (here in Massachusetts) invited me to drive this very model. He apologized for the 'coal cart' ride but explained that these machines are all about "drift" (deliberately kicking the tail out) going around corners. He further explained that the more grippy modern (and greatly improved) tires did this chassis no favors. The 3000 was a design for its time, and like so many other British sports car designs, often designed on the back of and envelope, outclassed everything else available at the time.
Owned an ex-SCCA C Production 100-6 back in the Sixties. Besides the car's very late breakaway there was also the tendency of the exhaust system to be torn off at the slightest provocation.
100-6 Healey’s ran in E production and Allan Barker won the championship in 1965 in one 3000’s were in D Production
Beautiful car, British design at its best. John
The first and only car i fell in love with. I was about 13 yo and started scanning the want ads and saving money. Never happened for several reasons.
Thank you watch that landau cover flap around brought back memories.I had A red 65' mark III black top with glass rear window and Black seats /interior. My back seat was one piece two bucket shapes. My dog Sam(a black puli) loved it but he perfered shotgun gave the girls a huff or two as he resigned to the spacious rear seat . loved those back roads.
This YT post caught my eye, as a neighbor of mine back in the mid-1960s had the left-hand drive US model of this same car, where sadly, he lost his life when the car lost control on a mountain road.
It was mystery back then how the crash happened, but from my observations with how he drove it back then at elevated speeds in the neighborhood; combined with, years later, having an awareness of the car's handling, the guy probably pushed the handling envelope a bit too far on that mountain road.
The "Big Healey" was a 100/6, through the latter part of 1959. Then is when production of the 3000 began. I have owned 2 '59 BN6 [two seat] 100/6 cars, as well as a 1964 BN7 car, a 3000 MK II, which was also a two seat variant. Fantastic driving vehicles - when it is dry! Good tires make a huge difference. BTW, the transmissions, with overdrive, were overdriven both in 3rd and 4th gear, essentially making it a 6 speed.
OMG..my car in mid 60s on Capetown.
Had a Cobra exhaust system and when driving along the seaside in Seapoint it got more attention than the fancy Italians..
Unbelievable easy to drive and easy to repair.. Driving from Capetown to Johannesburg absolutely a dream because the roads in yhose days in excellent condition and almost empty..
Unbelievable fantastic experience
That's a really nice example you got to drive Jack. I must admit to never having much time for the big Healeys and looked at them as being a rather crude lash up of bits from the BMC bin thrown, along with a ship anchor of an engine, into a pretty body. But I get that many can fall in love with them for a certain charm they have and they did of course have a decent competition record too.
Crude they were, but their toughness shone in rallies. I recall a photograph in one of the contemporary motor mags of the collapsed rear wheel of one of the 200hp works cars on something like the Rome-Liege-Rome event. The driver - John Gott, perhaps? - had driven, on the rimless spokes, at 10/10ths for the rest of the stage. The wheel was replaced and the ol' brute motorvated on, unruffled.
Those Rootes Rallye modified Healeys, were offering 248hp in their highest modification..Truly amazing powerhouses on the race track...they could keep pace, and sometimes overtake XKEs, depending on how daring the drivers were!
My dad bought a metallic blue Austin Healey, 3000 Mark III in 1968. It was a US version. It was a beautiful car, and I was lucky enough to get to drive it after I got my drivers license. It required quite a bit of regular maintenance. But I have such fond memories of this car.
I had a 100-6 Healey and loved it. I later owned two different versions of the AC Cobra which I think were inspired by the the Healey. Mine was a silver-blue body with an off-white side insert. Flipping the little switch to go into overdrive was always a great feeling. The engine roar would drop immediately and the car would almost sigh at the rpm loss. A great car to drive.
My Healey was also a 100-six, 1959. I am not quite sure why there even was a 100-six model?!...I mean, my car had no back seats, just some sort of storage ledge situation. Otherwise, the 3000 models were just the same as my car.
I bought a 3000 mk 3 back in 1967 while in the navy. I kept it several years until I traded it for a larger vehicle after I got married. Loved it. Wish I still had it. Great lines. Wire wheels. Everything just WOW!!!!😊
Remember these at Sebring!
What a great sound!!! 1963/4
C'est la voiture de sport britannique par excellence.
Owned 2 MGB’s at different times years ago. An acquaintance had a Healy making me jealous. Having heard this, I’m satisfied and would again go with B’s (my love to this day). Thanks, now I’ve got the bug again. 😎
With the top up, even down for that matter, the sound of the carburettors just dominates. You can hear them breathing, I can still hear this sound some 50 years later- even with my eyes open! And the steering wheel in your chest. Don't recall the steering being heavy though ... Yes, the mufflers WILL drag over speed bumps. So British, such a beautiful car, mine had the driving lights and luggage rack too. I've had my Midgets, MGB's, TR3's, but the Big Healey was a rank above for sure. Just be wary of the tail wanting to come around under spirited driving- see my other post up. Back when I had that car I had a few dates with a secretary at work who had a 64 XKE. Life was good now that I think about it. Thanks for bringing this all back to me! Cheers!
I remember the Austin Healy quite well. A neighbor had one. They were a cut above my pay grade and range as a teenager. I was originally a Sunbeam Alpine guy. Then a Triumph TR4A IRS, then a TR4, then an MGBGT, then finally a Triumph Spitfire. Loved the TRs and the Spitfire felt like a poor man's XKE. They were underpowered and antiquated, but eccentric and just had that class and joy to drive about them. Unique. Would loved to have had a Healey.
I had a '63 MKII back in the 70s. One of my all time favorite cars, and I've had Porsches, Jaguars, hot Mustangs and Trans Ams etc.
Someone once said that the way they made made those cars handle was by not allowing the suspension to work. When I took my Dad for a ride he swore he could tell if it was heads or tails when we drove over a dime.
I didn't care. It looked and sounded sublime, it had great torque, could cruise at 80mph, and you could power slide and 4 wheel drift it if you knew what you were doing. Still beautiful today.
You impress me with your passion and wisdom and all round love of reviewing all sorts of cars from different eras!
Don’t change a thing!
I would open arms let you take my cars but there’s a catch..
I’m in Australia!
Keep up the great work!
A pal of mine owned one of these in the late 1970s, and though he never invited me to drive it, I did get out for some time in the passenger seat, which I remember fondly as a very solid, tasteful early mid-century sports car experience, unsophisticated, not terribly fast, but so, so enjoyable, everything tactile, and audible in a wonderful way. Hilariously, my own daily driver, then, was a 1952 Chevrolet pick up truck, also powered by a big, lumbering straight six engine! I miss them both.
This channel gets better and better, really informative and well presented with really interesting cars. Thanks
Jack's featuring more of the "right" cars now. The exotics have been done to excess on TH-cam.
To judge the car against the old road tests you’d have to try it on Dunlop cross-plies. You don’t say what this one had but the original tyres would have made the ride harder and the steering lighter than on modern radials.
I had two Mk 3's over the years. Lived in Brixton & no one ever bothered trying to steal them! Used to roar up the M40 at 80mph regularly on the way to work. Favourite car of the era. Passed up an Aston to purchase the second. Brilliant fun, fond memories.
You need someone who really knows how to work on these British cars, especially with 2 or 3 SU carburetors.
Finally, in the last ~10 years, the Austin-Healy has been recognized as one of the best classic British sports cars.
My uncle, Dick Anderson, was a top BMC mechanic who worked at John Bull Motors in Santa Cruz, California.
I went with him to many road coarse races on the West Coast of California in the 1960s and 1970s.
Friend of mine had a 3000 back in the day, it was a beast. It had a LOUD Canadian Stebro exhaust that would hit the pavement on hard right turns. There are a few around here in New Hampshire now, I think they are among the most beautiful British cars made, second only to the E-Type. I rebuilt a 100M body, they have a very simple chassis. This car does seem to sit high on its suspension, maybe if it were more settled it would corner better.
People were complaining about the lack of ground clearance, so from late 1963 on, there was a bit more space offered...The joke about the older Healeys was, that if one drove over a freshly-painted crosswalk, you might lost the muffler!
I had a 3000 MK 3 for a while when I was young. Boy, do I miss it!
Love seeing you do these older cars that lay the foundation for the 60s. It would be fun to hear your take on an MGA twin cam or an old MG T that was used for racing.
A good pal of my father purchased a big Healey from a scrapyard together with the engine and transmission of a equally scrapped 220 Mercedes. He slapped the drivetrain into the Healey, considerably widened the track (and the wheel arches) and converted the Merc column shift into a makeshift floor shifter. He wanted to achieve something of a cheap AC Cobra for himself.
Crazy, never happened you say?
This was in the late 1960s and he did this in his spare time between graduating and army duty. He had an awful lot of fun with it (tearing up Ford Mustangs on mountain roads and scaring girlfriends on the Italian autostrada) but had to let it go once he entered university.
Now the unbelievable part of the story: 30 years later he tried to trace the whereabouts of his old car… and succeeded. The car basically retained his modifications and was now in the possession of an equally minded new owner. They both(!) gave it much needed repairs and brought it back on the road in its modded state. It received a german historic registration because all its modifications could be considered period correct tuning.
I'd much rather have torque than revs, looks the perfect car to me.
I have driven a very nice 1959 Austin Healey this year. It’s all about the nostalgia and the ambiance. Jack is quite right it’s a refined car for its day and would have seemed relatively quick in period but in modern terms it’s quite lethargic. Very direct offset clunky but pleasing gear shift and super heavy and quite dead feeling steering. No door or wing mirrors just a tiny dash mounted rear view. I liked it but far too valauable to try throwing it about. Nevertheless a charming time piece for the well heeled and hairy of chest!
In 1973 a 1954 100-4 was my first car here in Southern California. I was sixteen and life was just that simple.
Thanks. Great vid. That exact make and model (Austin Healey MK3 3000) has been my dream car since the sixties. Still love it.
I owned one of these back in the late 60's, with brand new Michelin's under it I just had to see if it would do the 'advertised' 120mph. So yeh....and being just 3.5" off the ground, it seemed WAY faster. First and last time I ever risked it....but I loved that car. -Veteran '66-68
Try going 70 in an Austin Healey Sprite. You know you'll soon be airborne. Hang on for dear life!
Boy, did this bring back memories. I didn't buy my first car until I was out of the US Army for half a year. which means I bought it in December of 1962. It was a white 1957 Austin Healey 100-6 (which was the first year they offered it w/a six cylinder engine), red leather interior, Laycock-DeNormanville (if memory serves) electric overdrive that worked in both third and fourth, electric fuel pump (mounted outside of the tank) and wire wheels with "Do" and "Undo" directional knockoffs. I paid $1,800.00 for it off the lot and they even offered me a 1960 Triumph TR-3 for the same price, but my heart was set on the Healey. I think I put Pirelli's on it. T'was a great car as long as I had it. I even, at one point, had an Austin Mini - not the 1100 cc Mini Cooper, but the 850 cc version of the same body style. I'll never forget the first time I drove it I was on the freeway (Southern California) and, when I thought about changing lanes it suddenly was there - in the new lane. That was an attention getter and, once learned, the maneuverability was quite enjoyable - and handy. Anyway, as many of the entertainers of my parents era would say: "Thanks for the memories".
Yeah...the 57-59 100 six models had a six cylinder...but it was not as large as the 3 litre six that showed up in the 3000 models...Like you, I owned a 100-six, but was frustrated to find out that the later 3000 models had the bigger, stronger engines. Our models had a 2600cc version-117 hp.
@@curbozerboomer1773, Yep, at 22 lbs per horsepower they weighed 2,574 lbs. But the girls in LA & Orange County in the early '60's didn't care about that. :)
Thanks for doing this review. Back in the late 1970s a good friend of my brother's (and mine) had one of these. My brother had a 1968 Triumph GT6, and I had a 1969 Austin Healey Sprite Mark IV. I remember one night we were over the friend's house playing cards. There were five of us. The three cars I mentioned were there as well as a Triumph Bonneville motorcycle (which I later bought and my now ex-wife made me get rid of) and another motorcycle (don't remember which type). At about 2AM we all left. All these vehicles were highly modified, and frankly loud. I wonder what the neighbors thought. My brother and his friend tore down and rebuilt the engine of the 3000 at one point. Of course, they put a hot cam in it and made other modifications. A boyhood friend who went to the US Naval Academy had an Austin Healey 100. Notice a pattern here. Actually, the guy who sold me the Bonneville also had an Alfa Romeo Giulietta, a 1964. He messed it up and my brother bought it from him. He totally restored it and still has it. He also recently tore apart the GT6 and put it back together. You should do a review of that car.
Thanks Jack, seems all your gym work has had an effect if it didn't seem that heavy to you?! An AH 3000 will always have the classic appeal, looked a really good example! 🙏🙏
Back in the mid seventies I had a MKI/2-seat 3000, I feel it was more of a sports car, as opposed to the example here. Also, the MKI was a true roadster where as The MKIII is a cabriolet/ touring car.
My original love. I dreamed about that car until I realized at 16 I could only afford one car that had to work in New England weather. But I stared at pictures of that car as much as a playboy center fold. A brand new Pontiac firebird convertible with a V8 and four or five on the floor was my consolation prize.
Fred’s big brother 😂😂😂
Even though it was rather grey and not too warm looking, you drove it top down, as it was meant to be driven. Well done!
Ohhhh to have money. The 60's British sports cars,healy's,mg's, the e-type are all lovely.
Being a 50s kid i do remember these cars, ABSO BRILLIANT !!
My father had a high end panel shop here in Sydney, our family car was a A95, it had a chip on first gear, so when I learnt to drive in 1969 we used a restoration of a Mk3 instead, including doing my driving test, the old school official was drooling over the car, I passed first attempt. My father was always British cars, I developed an expensive taste in Italian and Germany cars. My father helped me restore many Alfas, including a Duetta, 2000 Spyder, 2 x 105; 1750 and 2000GTV, I bought a new Alfetta GT, # 2 into the country. Alfasud Ti another 105.
German 2002, 2002ti, 3 litre CSI, 528 Motorsport, another 3litre CSI & 3litre 911SC.......I miss my dad and all of his help !
Again, despite Three Marks, BMC never developed anything because they were too worried about costs. The ill fated Mark IV was to use a RR Princess 4 litre in lone six. BMC had been inspired by ARX 91B’s Targa Florio performance..almost with winning that race in Cerda should have inspired its owners. Instead of making it pass US and emerging Common Market crash legislation, the company killed it. The 5 speed IRS Datsun 240Z showed up the Big Healy as a crude anachronism.
Yeah...The 240Z even spelled the end for another Datsun sports car, the 1600, and 2000 series. The 2000 series was very robust, with a 150hp 4 cylinder engine. It was a very fun sports car, and clearly the design had been inspired by the MG series...but when the 240Z showed up, then 1970 became the last year for the very quick, but sort of anachronistic, 2000 model!
I was speaking to a 3000 owner at a car show here in Canada. He mentioned that its’ worst trait, particularly in summer, was the engine heat through the firewall that basically cooked his feet. Perhaps a bonus on a cool day in Blighty!
Great video, never actually seen a real driving perspective review of these before and always been fascinated with them. I also remember the auto knowledge section at the bag of the mag in the late 80's saying that you had to be hairy of chest to drive these...Lol.
Absaloutly brilliant video jack❤👍why did we loose our way with making cars like that absaloutly beautiful car waw brilliant
Because you could'nt keep them running for more than a few hours at a time.
Very interesting. I enjoyed the potted history especially. My late uncle had one of these back in the late 60's / early 70's and left a lasting impression on me as a young boy of of around 10 years old. I have always wanted one. Maybe I will after I have finished my current project.
Love the look of this classic beautiful design. a real car,
I got to drive one in '65 and loved it. $3,000 MSRP, was out of my comfort zone at 18 years old. XKE was $5,000
I know, I was probably in the same era as you, and the prices today are unbelievable.
Cuzz had REG no, NLM 190E , Healey 3000. Mk3 , in 67 , Red & beautiful , loved it !! :-)
I had the earlier 3000, same color, w/a bent shift and top stowed in the trunk. I outran a cop on a twisty road. And five (5) people can sit in it. I saw one like in the vid a few years ago, in perfect condition. I hsd to leave it
w/my mechanic for six months. It started instantly on a snowy day. Of course, it sometimes didnt turn off...
It's bloody beautiful. As a kid I always loved these and the Humber Super Snipe.
It always amazes me on talking about bhp with old cars no one seems to mention ( or perhaps even know ) that the definition of bhp was changed in the 1980's. The 4.2 Jaguar engine fitted to the E-type, Mk. 10 and 420G for example was 265 bhp before the change and got reduced to 180 afterwards, not negligable at all. So anyone not knowing or forgetting about the change is going to be a bit in the dark. Ever wondered why the 4.2 E-type never did make 150 mph whereas a modern car 265 bhp car can!?
I still remember the VIN of my silver blue 66 3000 some 50 years later, I don't know why. Bought it used, was 3-4 years old. Picked it up on what seemed to be the coldest Pennsylvania winter day ever. Gear oil was HEAVY, so hard to get the next gear! I can attest to the "sketchy handling" as I had a first hand experiences with the tail stepping out more than just once. No incidents though except ... Was out with a friend one night top down on a "back country", but nicely paved, road. It was dark so I could see headlights warning me of something coming the other way. So I was showing off. Remember the old white wooden guard rails they used to use with big bolts sticking thru holding the cables? Well on a right hander the tail came out, I corrected, but still ended up on the other side of the road tearing up the whole length of the driver's side of the car on those darn bolts. Stupid as it may sound I still had control of the car as sparks were flying so I just kept going without stopping to see the damage. Neither of us said a word to each other as it was happening. Finally about a mile up the road, my friend looked over at me and said, and I quote exactly- "Boy, doesn't that piss you off every time that happens". After I dropped off my friend and got home I couldn't open the driver's door. It was bad, such a beautiful car and look what I did to it! Got it fixed, but sold it and bought a used 64 1/2 271 horse 289 Mustang. Two of SO many cars I wish I had back.
I had a 1961 MGA Mark2 and always wanted a Healey 3000 Mark3 but time and family was more important, so later in life I got a 1990 Mazda Miata ,I installed a supercharger and all the other upgrades but keep the outside stock much faster then the Healey but didn’t have that British feel like my MG
My uncle used to garage his car at a small BMC dealership on the south side of Glasgow in the 60s.the owner had a Healy 3000 in red and black,and I recall as a small boy being given a couple of short runs in it,he changed it eventually for a wolseley 6/110....
That was Dads car before I was born. Mum told me that they drove across Canada, from Esquimalt BC to Ottawa Ontario.