Healey Sports Cars

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

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d-craft
gary castillo

(16 posts)

Registered:
07/29/2016 01:09PM

Main British Car:


Honda K Series AWD Turbo 1960 Bugeye.
Posted by: d-craft
Date: July 29, 2016 01:26PM

Hi All,

I'm new on here and as much I don't own an Austin Healey I wanted to share a project that we are starting. I own a fab shop in Huntington Beach and have a customer that dropped off a Bugeye. Original plan was to drop a Honda S2000 engine and tranny into it but he decided he wanted a more unique build. Now the plan is to drop a K Series Honda engine and transmission into his car mounted longitudinal and turbocharge it. By far one of the most difficult swaps we have done but when this is done it should be a rocket ship. The plan is to debut the car at the SEMA show 2016. I'll definitely start posting pictures of the build soon.

thank you,
Gary Castillo


rficalora
Rob Ficalora
Willis, TX
(2764 posts)

Registered:
10/24/2007 02:46PM

Main British Car:
'76 MGB w/CB front, Sebring rear, early metal dash Ford 302

authors avatar
Re: Honda K Series AWD Turbo 1960 Bugeye.
Posted by: rficalora
Date: July 29, 2016 02:31PM

Gary - can't wait to see the pics/progress.

Must be something in the Bugeye water; seems I recently saw another high end Bugeye project highlighted on one of the forums. Don't think that one was SEMA bound though.


Anarchy99
Jim Purdy
Memphis, TN
(156 posts)

Registered:
12/06/2013 03:54PM

Main British Car:
61 austin healey sprite LS6

Re: Honda K Series AWD Turbo 1960 Bugeye.
Posted by: Anarchy99
Date: August 01, 2016 03:21AM

The one you are speaking of should be SEMA bound... It's shaping up like a work of art.

On a side note, I love the AWD conversions in the little mini's. If I ever bought a mini, that's what I would do to it.


HealeyRick
Rick Neville

(489 posts)

Registered:
12/19/2007 05:01PM

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

authors avatar
Re: Honda K Series AWD Turbo 1960 Bugeye.
Posted by: HealeyRick
Date: August 01, 2016 12:59PM

Here's the link to the other one: [www.britishcarforum.com]


d-craft
gary castillo

(16 posts)

Registered:
07/29/2016 01:09PM

Main British Car:


Re: Honda K Series AWD Turbo 1960 Bugeye.
Posted by: d-craft
Date: August 03, 2016 12:58PM

enginemockup.jpg

this was only mocked up but with the engine moved back far enough it allowed me to mount a front differential housing out of a Nissan RB26 with plenty of room left for the rack and pinion.


d-craft
gary castillo

(16 posts)

Registered:
07/29/2016 01:09PM

Main British Car:


Re: Honda K Series AWD Turbo 1960 Bugeye.
Posted by: d-craft
Date: August 17, 2016 12:45PM

This is the engine mount I came up with. I might need to change it a bit since this Honda engine normally has the throttle body on the transmission side and I'm going to use a Honda S2000 intake manifold to have it on the opposite side. BTW, this was shot on the weekend which explains the Heineken bottle haha.
engine mount.jpg


BWA


(344 posts)

Registered:
04/13/2010 08:13PM

Main British Car:


Re: Honda K Series AWD Turbo 1960 Bugeye.
Posted by: BWA
Date: August 17, 2016 04:05PM

That is a very unique engine swap!!
Those engines are awesome, I have a 2003 Civic SIR which has the 160 hp version.
So I assume that you are going to attach the driveshaft where the axle shaft attached.
How are you going to run this driveshaft out to the back without having an offset hump in the interior?
If you go this route there will be no room for a passenger seat.
What type of rearend do you plan on using?

Cheers
Byron



d-craft
gary castillo

(16 posts)

Registered:
07/29/2016 01:09PM

Main British Car:


Re: Honda K Series AWD Turbo 1960 Bugeye.
Posted by: d-craft
Date: August 29, 2016 11:55AM

here is what I'm planning for the front suspension. this is a GM Aluminum front upright and I also found a spline hub and axles that "should" fit pretty well. The front diff housing is a Nissan that uses cv axles.. Should be mounting it really soon and size up the axles so they can get custom made to length. I'm still trying to figure out shock placement since I seem to be running out of room up front. still need to mount an intercooler and radiator.

front suspension.jpg


d-craft
gary castillo

(16 posts)

Registered:
07/29/2016 01:09PM

Main British Car:


Re: Honda K Series AWD Turbo 1960 Bugeye.
Posted by: d-craft
Date: September 28, 2016 03:08PM

i mounted the front of the diff with a sandwich style adapter plate I made. basically the plate sits between the diff and the front cover. since the housing is normally part of the oil pan on an RB26 Nissan Skyline I had to cut and grind everything off of if to get it too fit right.
austindiff.jpg


d-craft
gary castillo

(16 posts)

Registered:
07/29/2016 01:09PM

Main British Car:


Re: Honda K Series AWD Turbo 1960 Bugeye.
Posted by: d-craft
Date: August 09, 2017 01:47PM

Update 8/9/17

car has been painted and now time to reinstall everything. These are the wheels we decided to go with.
healey wheel.jpg

Also we have been selected for SEMA Battle of the Builders this year.
[www.youtube.com]


rficalora
Rob Ficalora
Willis, TX
(2764 posts)

Registered:
10/24/2007 02:46PM

Main British Car:
'76 MGB w/CB front, Sebring rear, early metal dash Ford 302

authors avatar
Re: Honda K Series AWD Turbo 1960 Bugeye.
Posted by: rficalora
Date: August 09, 2017 10:32PM

That is AWESOME! Congratulations; that is quite an honor.


HealeyRick
Rick Neville

(489 posts)

Registered:
12/19/2007 05:01PM

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

authors avatar
Re: Honda K Series AWD Turbo 1960 Bugeye.
Posted by: HealeyRick
Date: August 10, 2017 12:07PM

Cool build. Good luck at SEMA!


d-craft
gary castillo

(16 posts)

Registered:
07/29/2016 01:09PM

Main British Car:


Re: Honda K Series AWD Turbo 1960 Bugeye.
Posted by: d-craft
Date: September 12, 2017 12:41PM

finished up the exhaust and turbo manifold. still trying to figure out how I want to do the windscreen.
healeysideshot.jpg
healey turbo.jpg


d-craft
gary castillo

(16 posts)

Registered:
07/29/2016 01:09PM

Main British Car:


Re: Honda K Series AWD Turbo 1960 Bugeye.
Posted by: d-craft
Date: October 09, 2017 01:13PM

dropping the real engine and transmission in the car this week. crossing my fingers that the car starts up next week after wiring.
austin engineandchassis.jpg


d-craft
gary castillo

(16 posts)

Registered:
07/29/2016 01:09PM

Main British Car:


Re: Honda K Series AWD Turbo 1960 Bugeye.
Posted by: d-craft
Date: October 31, 2017 02:20PM

disappointing news, the car was ready for SEMA but I was bottom guy on the totem pole at a certain booth and as of Saturday night, they was no room for the Austin. Funny they couldn't make room for a car so small but it is what it is. next year I hope. No one to blame for this miscommunication but myself. I had too guaranteed spots but held out for areas with better foot traffic. by the time I found out I could not get a better spot my reserve spots were given away. I'm so bummed about this cause I know the Austin had the ability to win Battle of the Builders. crossing my fingers they allow me to enter next year. regardless i will start uploading a bunch of pics this week of the Design Craft Fabrication All Wheel Drive Bugeye Sprite with detailed captions. thanks for following

Gary Castillo
Instagram @designcraftfab

34front.jpg
the front intercooler duct hasn't been bonded and the over fender sealing isn't installed yet but most everything else is complete front end wise.
rear.jpg
the owner of the car is a big audio guy. personally I would rather do with something that didnt require cutting up the rear but it was at the owners request
austinseats.jpg
one of the collaborations I had with this car was with sparco in designing a restomod/vintage seat. believe it or not this started out as one of their Sprint seats which I modified into a low back vintage.
sideexhaust.jpg
another favorite thing of mine is the oval stainless side exit exhaust with turbo wastgate muffled tube.



d-craft
gary castillo

(16 posts)

Registered:
07/29/2016 01:09PM

Main British Car:


Re: Honda K Series AWD Turbo 1960 Bugeye.
Posted by: d-craft
Date: October 31, 2017 08:56PM

IMG_20171029_193448_154.jpg
since we made the rear suspension double wish bone we ran out of room to put the motorcycle shocks so we decided to make it a push rod suspension and mount the shocks in the trunk
rearsuspension.jpg
this is the rear subfram we made to make the car independent suspension. the diff is a Nissan 240SX
rearunder.jpg
this is how tight it fit under the car. all the axles, arms, uprights are all custom parts we made.


rficalora
Rob Ficalora
Willis, TX
(2764 posts)

Registered:
10/24/2007 02:46PM

Main British Car:
'76 MGB w/CB front, Sebring rear, early metal dash Ford 302

authors avatar
Re: Honda K Series AWD Turbo 1960 Bugeye.
Posted by: rficalora
Date: November 01, 2017 04:21AM

Very nice! Sent you some questions in PM.


d-craft
gary castillo

(16 posts)

Registered:
07/29/2016 01:09PM

Main British Car:


Re: Honda K Series AWD Turbo 1960 Bugeye.
Posted by: d-craft
Date: November 03, 2017 09:10PM

added a few more shots from the engine bay

austinengine1.jpg
austionengine2.jpg
austinengine3.jpg
austinfront.jpg


d-craft
gary castillo

(16 posts)

Registered:
07/29/2016 01:09PM

Main British Car:


Re: Honda K Series AWD Turbo 1960 Bugeye.
Posted by: d-craft
Date: November 29, 2017 12:35PM

if you are in the LA/OC area check out the the Austin Healey we built. It will be in the lower south hall in the DUB Booth.

AWDstinrendering.jpg
laauto34front.jpg
laauto34rear.jpg
laautotop.jpg


bayhealey
Janelle Sahr

(18 posts)

Registered:
05/04/2015 05:54PM

Main British Car:
1956 Austin Healey 100 BN2 Chevrolet 400

authors avatar
Re: Honda K Series AWD Turbo 1960 Bugeye.
Posted by: bayhealey
Date: November 30, 2017 02:31PM

Forget SEMA... You've reached the pinnacle...

Jalopnik approval...

and I quote... "If your goal is to convince people, wordlessly, that sanity isn’t something you’ve ever been remotely interested in, I think this very very modified Austin-Healey Sprite is the car you’ve been looking for. I imagine that your life expectancy drops by a solid decade the second you pick up the keys to this amazing thing."

[jalopnik.com]
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