2300 Fiat (Hillclimb and Vintage race) Special undergoing completion in New Zealand.

[rmjbn1]

Thanks for sharing the great selection of pics - I always cheer on the Healeys at race meetings, but didn't get mine till 2001, so I might have missed you!

finished backwards over the finish line on the last lap at Mallory Park with Stirling Moss watching.

Well that's just showing off! I've always been impressed with how well Healeys have gone against some pretty exotic machinery - must be very satisfying. Particularly remember Johnny Herbert winning the Goodwood Revival RAC TT outright in a Healey 100S a few years back.
John Gott is indeed best remembered as a circuit racer in his Healey 3000, but I think you may be right, Jock - John Gott did rally events before that with class wins on Tulip & Liege rallies, and a Coupe des Alpes.
The Vernasca Silver Flag event looks wonderful - I wasn't aware of that one. Fine part of the world too. Have visited Emilia-Romagna a couple of times and enjoyed buzzing about the 'old' Mugello in hire cars. Will have to go back and do it properly...

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Thank you for your replies chaps, much appreciated! Aye, the tubular shock conversion seems a bit much - I've no intention to try and make a Healey ride and handle like a modern.
I'm intrigued by your comments on worn lever arm bushes, Jock - did you shim/rebush them or replace the damper unit?
I've had all dampers off the car and changed the oil, but didn't really notice play in the dampers - they've been on there for at least 25 years (possibly since 1954...).
I'd almost talked myself into the camber plates before I got distracted by an engine rebuild (broken crankshaft on the way to Le Mans - the only time she hasn't got me home) and gearbox rebuild (broken 2nd gear - on a three speed box...), but you've helped convince me. Now just need to distract the postie long enough to swipe his ARB

I suppose it all depends on your ultimate aims for the project as to how far you stray away from the original concept? (and of course, what the rules allow for your chosen competition class?) I think there is great "charm" in a vehicle which has been assembled true to it's original spec but perhaps with modified components like adjustable shocks and springs, maybe also some provision to adjust camber, etc, etc but still holding true to the original basic setup.

I know when I attended my first race in a professional capacity - and I was very green behind the ears being as how it was my first job after four and a half years full time study at automotive college which was designed to fit me for a life in the motor trade or maybe manufacturing, quite highly qualified but "knew nothing" - I was amazed at how adjustable these cars were. (European Touring Cars) Pretty much the whole range of Castor, Camber, KPI, anti roll bar, spring height, damping rates and even changing spring stiffness could be done within minutes. All stuff of great importance if you are to get the best out of a tyre. It took me a couple of months and a lot of help from more experienced colleagues before I was fit to advise on suspension settings (based on my tire temperature observations and wear patterns) I absolutely loved that job (and you had too because the hours worked were insane, especially when endurance racing) Probably a good thing for me though that Firestone closed down their European Racing Division otherwise I'd almost certainly have been divorced! It seemed to be a common situation for most of the chaps who were track side personnel and I don't blame the wives. Mostly from early spring to late autumn they only saw us for a couple of days a week and even then that would be outside working hours and that doesn't include extended winter test sessions - for us often at Barcelona or Ricard - when we would be away for perhaps a fortnight at a time.

Regarding those lever arm shocks. We just changed them out for replacement units. These were standard everyday road cars we were dealing with and often the owner would be unaware that there was a serious problem. By the time they ended up in my work bay, often having failed an MOT test, the wear was so great and most of the damper oil pumped out, that the worn bush was a minor issue compared with the other internal damage to the unit. Of course there was also the issue of warranty on the repair and if we fitted a service exchange unit then a warranty claim if it failed early would be down to the replacement's supplier. I think this factor is often a major factor which affects whether a component like a gearbox, engine or other complex component is repaired or replaced with another unit complete. Often a repair is possible but it's then very difficult if it later fails due to an unrelated internal part failing, to explain to the customer that it's unrelated to the repair you carried out just a few weeks ago. That was another "shock" I experienced in my working life. When I first took a job as working manager of a small workshop your whole thought process changes from "simply" being involved in sorting out mechanical problems to how best to conduct repairs so that not only the customer benefits (my first priority because that way they keep coming back) but also to limit the workshop's exposure to liability which becomes an all encompassing discipline.

Now well into my retirement and being often frustrated by all the electronic garbage in modern cars I'm always fascinated by companies like this: https://www.vandcengineering.co.uk/ - good "old fashioned" engineers!

 

[rmjbn1]

Regarding those lever arm shocks...the wear was so great and most of the damper oil pumped out, that the worn bush was a minor issue compared with the other internal damage to the unit.

Yes, the Armstrong dampers are known to develop leaks; I can well imagine topping up the dampers was one of the myriad of service requirements on old cars that could easily get overlooked.

I must say that's one thing that really appeals to me about old cars: yes, there was much more servicing required, but components were generally designed to be removed, adjusted or serviced, and put back. Brake shoes re-lined etc. There's remarkably little waste compared to moderns - I felt bad slinging a pair of suspension arms on the Fiat due to one worn ball-joint. But I understand quality control, workshop time and liability has a lot to do with it.

I believe even the rear springs are original on my Healey - reconditioned by Paddington Springs, one of the surviving "old fashioned" engineers still kept busy thanks to the continued use of leaf springs on commercial vehicles.

There used to be so many precision engineers near me around the Slough Trading Estate accustomed to doing work for the automotive and motorsports concerns in the area - McLaren, Williams (then Wolf), Lola and Ford Advanced Vehicles with the GT40 - and were happy to do small jobs if I took in a component. Not many left now.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Yes, the Armstrong dampers are known to develop leaks; I can well imagine topping up the dampers was one of the myriad of service requirements on old cars that could easily get overlooked.

I must say that's one thing that really appeals to me about old cars: yes, there was much more servicing required, but components were generally designed to be removed, adjusted or serviced, and put back. Brake shoes re-lined etc. There's remarkably little waste compared to moderns - I felt bad slinging a pair of suspension arms on the Fiat due to one worn ball-joint. But I understand quality control, workshop time and liability has a lot to do with it.

I believe even the rear springs are original on my Healey - reconditioned by Paddington Springs, one of the surviving "old fashioned" engineers still kept busy thanks to the continued use of leaf springs on commercial vehicles.

There used to be so many precision engineers near me around the Slough Trading Estate accustomed to doing work for the automotive and motorsports concerns in the area - McLaren, Williams (then Wolf), Lola and Ford Advanced Vehicles with the GT40 - and were happy to do small jobs if I took in a component. Not many left now.

Yes, driveway grease monkeys are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. When I was in my 20's at least half the street would be out there on a Saturday doing something to their car. Although rare to see someone doing the likes of a clutch or engine swap it was common to see oil and filter changes and people with their brakes in pieces doing a reline etc. I think I'm the only one in my street who does more than lift the bonnet and do a levels check (and many don't even do that) and I haven't seen anyone doing tyre pressure checks in a long time. I wondered if it was because they were doing it at the local petrol station (which is also the local Morrisons) and as we shop there I have been keeping an eye on whether the tyre inflation machine was in great use. I've actually only seen a couple of times when it was in use over about the last 6 months certainly no queues!

There seems to be a great myth that because of "electronics" you can't do anything to cars these days which may be part of the reason but I also think that the youngsters of today just don't want to get their hands dirty - Could this be because of the almost universal aspiration to attend "University" where, with some exceptions, there's a great deal of "Hot Air" and much less "Hands On" compared to the older Technical college and apprenticeships which were much more prevalent in my day?

 

[agusta74]

I wonder what has happened the original poster as I just bought this car from the chap selling it in Wellington....

 

[agusta74]

great to get that info on the engine!! it's a 2400 now not a 2300....

 

[agusta74]

Heard from the seller that the chap who was going to purchase the project (and started this thread) had some unexpected financial issues and could not complete the deal.

 

[rmjbn1]

Thank you for the update, and welcome Looking forward to seeing how this project develops on your new thread!