Austin-Healey’s and the Austin Healey Car Club of NZ and Others

[Roger Dowding]

Thanks to Ron McPhail for these photos - very grainy but interesting on the famous car;
There is a lot of conversation around how much of the restored /rebuilt car is original - some belief that the chassis was repairable and that was done ; John Manhire published the photo's on Fb page " South Island Motorsports ".

Before the accident - good shot showing the louvres in the bonnet ;



three views after the accident







Will gather more information, between stealing Ken Hyndman's Austin Healey photos !!
Some of them coming soon.

[Roger Dowding]

Some photos of the SCCA races in the early 1960's in the South West, Green Valley Texas.
For more information go to Ken Hyndman's thread

A line up of cars - three Healey's there including what is believed to be AHS3804 the Ed Bussey car that was in Florida USA from late 1955


The car closest to camera with a central Roll Bar, protecting neither driver nor passenger I suspect.


Yes an MGB - Sprite racer in the background


Thanks Ken H.
I know of a few Austin Healey enthusiasts haven't joined " The Roaring Season "but do follow some of the threads.
Thanks Mate

[Roger Dowding]

Notes with the photo from the then owner Peter Dobe " Car 72 is mk1 Sprite at 1958 Australian TT Albert Park, running FWA Climax and Jewitt bonnet. July 17th was it’s 60th birthday, landed in Oz early September, reg GWS 692 , Climax fitted , bonnet made and raced at TT in November. Car undergoing resto in Cardiff and engine in Dural at present "
If I find out any more will add to the post - or re-post if more photo's.



It was posted on the Facebook page " Old Motor Racing Photographs - Australia " - it is well worth a visit, quite a few Austin Healey photos there.

[Roger Dowding]

The 100S is fairly obvious by its grille shape...

There's one among these photos I copied from an old lady's photo album a few years ago:



David Shmith's Austin-Healey 100 at Bathurst in 1954. Before they had to distinguish between the 100/4 and 100/6.



There's a couple or more in this one lining up for a race at Gnoo Blas about 1959.



A 100S which raced here for some time was the Gunnedah-based Sam Miller car. Below it's at the Tamworth hillclimb...



Sam was at that time the custodian of a Lancia Lambda too. This had been driven to their farm new in the twenties and lived in the same shed until Sam's nephews, the last of the line, died in the nineties. They had, by that time, given it a nice new paint job.

Found another photo of the Sam Miller 100S at Bathurst in 1957 - credit on photo. from Fb page
" Old Motor racing Photograhs - Australia " . belongs with the Ray Bell pics.

[Roger Dowding]

Came across this story and photos on Fb page Austin Healey 100S which linked to the Austin Healey 100 page . Thanks to Scott Morris

AHS 3902;
Racing rewards for a Rhodesian Ridgeback: Gordon MacPherson raced 100S AHS 3902 with much success in southern Rhodesia. The car was exported new to Ronil Motors in Tanzania. From 1957 to 1960, starting some 75 events, MacPherson finished in the top three 62 times, winning 18 of them! After it flipped end over end, the car sat idle for the next 25 years only partially repaired. In 1985, Keith Clapham bought it and shipped it back to England, putting it back on the road ten years later after an extensive restoration. (copied from: Overdrive, Official Newsletter of the Central Indiana Austin Healey Club, June 2006)

[Ray Bell]

I'd like to have a parts list for the 100S engine...

My suspicion is that they used the diesel crank (taxis, tractors?), I understand that the block was cast with some different lugs for head studs for the bespoke cylinder head's variation to the stud pattern.

Does anyone know about these things?

[Roger Dowding]

I'd like to have a parts list for the 100S engine...

My suspicion is that they used the diesel crank (taxis, tractors?), I understand that the block was cast with some different lugs for head studs for the bespoke cylinder head's variation to the stud pattern.

Does anyone know about these things?

Ray Bell - will have to look in the Geoff Healey books, they changed the manifold and other stuff.. Ken h had some info too !! Watch this space

[Ray Bell]

Of course the manifolds would have to be changed because of the special head made for the 100S...

I look forward to answers, but mostly I'm interested to know what parts were sourced from the parts bins and weren't used on other Healey engines.

[Oldfart]

Ray, according to one of my Geoff Healey books, "The crankshaft was similar to the 100, except that it was forged in EN40B, machined and nitrite hardened. The bearing journals were then polished. The treated shaft had tensile strength in the range of 60 to 70 tons per square inch"

[Ray Bell]

But does that description match that of a crank made for the diesel version of this engine?

That's what I'm getting at, the facility Healey made of useful alternative parts from the BMC product range.

[BMCBOY]

This may be of help

[Oldfart]

But does that description match that of a crank made for the diesel version of this engine?

That's what I'm getting at, the facility Healey made of useful alternative parts from the BMC product range.

Perhaps that's one of those questions (urban legends/myths) that should have been asked a few years back Ray. I don't know how you would find out now.

[Oldfart]

Is this, pinched from trolling of any help whatever?
The much heavier and stronger EN40B nitrided crankshaft from an FX3 Austin Diesel taxi engine can be installed in the 100 block.


NOS AUSTIN TAXI
FX3 CRANKSHAFT

To accommodate the much heavier webs the center main bearing is narrower which necessitates some creative machining of the block and the addition of a substantial “strap” to reinforce the narrowed bearing cap. Custom connecting rods and different pistons are required to accommodate the 0.250” increase in the crank pin diameter and 3/8” shorter stroke of this crankshaft. Because of its increased mass a substantially lighter flywheel can be used. This radical modification addresses the inherent design issues with the 100 engine and has proven to produce the basis for a powerful and reliable engine however, the crankshafts are now very hard to find. A custom made billet crank of similar dimensions could be produced.

[Roger Dowding]

I had never seen these until posted on a Facebook page
Had other " cigarette " and " cereal " cards - have my Dad's cigarette cards from the 1930's of cars and my own set of Hot Rod cards - by Weetbix - Sanitarium in the 1970's

This is a Classic - would like to know what the other 24 cars were ;

[Ray Bell]

Wow! All that verbiage and they don't even mention, directly, that it had a bespoke alloy head!

So it looks like it wasn't the crank from the taxi engine...

And then you look at that long list and you can see that the car must have cost a LOT more than a regular 100 or even a 100M.

[BMCBOY]

This is an interesting article about John Chatham's 100 using the 2.5 litre Austin diesel taxi engine

[Ray Bell]

Actually, with a quarter-inch bigger crankpin they could well have machined the 100S crank out of a diesel crank...

They only needed a 0.175 increase in the throw.

[Roger Dowding]

Re ;" This is an interesting article about John Chatham's 100 using the 2.5 litre Austin diesel taxi engine ".

Thanks for that Ross, had heard /read about the car many years ago.

Cheers ; Roger

[Oldfart]

When living in Bristol in the 1980s I went and bothered John Chatham a few times.I found him easy to get on with and very forthcoming. He persuaded me to Not buy a big Healey!

[Roger Dowding]

When living in Bristol in the 1980s I went and bothered John Chatham a few times.I found him easy to get on with and very forthcoming. He persuaded me to Not buy a big Healey!

Rhys ; Thanks for that, wished I had known, bought my one and only AH 100 in 1982 - sold as a project in 1995 - did use it until 1990 though !!..
Here not long after being purchased.



Had previously in the late 1970's looked at an AH 3000 - an early one with triple Webers and massive wide wheels on the rear .. was talked out of that one by the then President of the Austin Healey Club NZ. Had the money to buy but not enough to put it right !!..

Just found the photo of the 3000 - and one of my 4 Sprites from about 1979.



A wise decision !! - ??.