Healey Sports Cars

mods & upgrades for Healey (Nash, Austin, or Jensen) cars, including engine swaps

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HealeyRick
Rick Neville

(489 posts)

Registered:
12/19/2007 05:01PM

Main British Car:
1963 Austin-Healey 3000 Ford 5.0L

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A Day at the Beach
Posted by: HealeyRick
Date: September 07, 2013 05:39PM

For most folks, that means sunning on the sand and a swim in the ocean. Can't say I'm a big fan of that, but I do love living near the ocean and have my whole life. Something about beach towns is like a summer long party. Ask Jimmy Buffet, he made a fortune out of telling their tales. And for car guys, the beach cruise is part of the allure. Nothing like that 5 mph crawl along the beach so that everyone can check out your car while you check out the beach girls, surfers ... and the temperature gauge. So today, I took the Healey for a beach tour. First stop was Salisbury Beach, MA where, I'm told, the Healey was quite a successful autocrosser in the hands of its first owner back in the '60s (and before that it was an SCCA production racer with triple HD8 carbs. Guess it's always been kind of a bad boy). Next up was Seabrook (N0 Nukes! No Nukes!) and then on to Hampton Beach, NH a real honky-tonk kind of place. The beach was packed and I had the requisite ego boosting thumbs-up, "nice car" and "sounds great" kind of stuff during the bumper to bumper traffic (well, actually the Healey did, I didn't get any of those) The Healey has a nice lumpy cam that really sounds good coming off idle so it gets the attention of the hot rodders and Harley guys. Most of you are probably sick of this clip by now, but for those that haven't heard it, it sounds like this:



Best comment of the day was from a guy about my age standing amongst the partyers on the porch of one of the beachfront cottages. "That ain't no stock Healey motor!" Made my day.

Finished up with a drive by Brit Bits in Rye NH [www.britbits.com] (lots of nice cars for sale, but I'm pretty happy with my Healey stable) through Wentworth-by-the-Sea and then into Portsmouth. Took Rte 95 home at a goodly 70 mph. About a 100 mile round trip without incident (including a temp gauge that behaved itself) and added a few more miles on the clock so that I gained a little more confidence in the swap and how everything meshes together.

Funny how a trip like this is a doddle in a new car. In the Healey, it's an adventure!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/07/2013 05:47PM by HealeyRick.


DC Townsend
David Townsend
Vermont
(406 posts)

Registered:
11/21/2007 12:22PM

Main British Car:
'78 B (almost done) 30-over SBF, dry sump

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Re: A Day at the Beach
Posted by: DC Townsend
Date: September 10, 2013 10:21AM

Ah, the life of leisure...(he says with more than a hint of jealousy)


DC Townsend
David Townsend
Vermont
(406 posts)

Registered:
11/21/2007 12:22PM

Main British Car:
'78 B (almost done) 30-over SBF, dry sump

authors avatar
Re: A Day at the Beach
Posted by: DC Townsend
Date: September 12, 2013 09:36AM

Hey, how about some pictures?


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