Healey Sports Cars

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

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Demidion
Joe Verna

(6 posts)

Registered:
03/05/2013 01:49PM

Main British Car:


Where to get aluminum head
Posted by: Demidion
Date: March 05, 2013 04:30PM

I have a 66 AH 3000 and have seen some threads here and there that aluminum heads are available. Just no one has said from which company!! Can anyone help?

Thanks!
Joe


HealeyRick
Rick Neville

(489 posts)

Registered:
12/19/2007 05:01PM

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

authors avatar
Re: Where to get aluminum head
Posted by: HealeyRick
Date: March 05, 2013 08:49PM

Here you go: [www.bighealey.co.uk]


pointnette
Stan Thompson
France
(13 posts)

Registered:
11/24/2012 07:56AM

Main British Car:
1999 Toyota Corolla; 1978 Volvo 244 both run bicarburation LPG/petrol

Re: Where to get aluminum head
Posted by: pointnette
Date: March 06, 2013 08:34AM

Here’s another source for both 6 cylinder heads and aluminium blocks. Although I know nothing about them other than what is written:
[www.dmdaustralia.com.au]


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: Where to get aluminum head
Posted by: DC Townsend
Date: March 06, 2013 12:20PM

"Here you go: [www.bighealey.co.uk]"

Youza! $2600 (or so) US for the standard and $4200 for the zoomy one. And this will do...what for the car?


HealeyRick
Rick Neville

(489 posts)

Registered:
12/19/2007 05:01PM

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

authors avatar
Re: Where to get aluminum head
Posted by: HealeyRick
Date: March 06, 2013 04:35PM

"And this will do...what for the car?"

Nowhere near as much as a V8 :-). A well prepped Healey six vintage racer will put out 200 bhp. The best racers have put out about 285 bhp, but it's going to take a lot more than an ali head to get near that.


Demidion
Joe Verna

(6 posts)

Registered:
03/05/2013 01:49PM

Main British Car:


Re: Where to get aluminum head
Posted by: Demidion
Date: March 06, 2013 05:50PM

Thank you some very good info!! I am trying to figure out what I am going to do with it. Build the engine, or just go with a newer one. I've done a Datsun 280Z with an SBC 400 so maybe I'll go that route.... just not sure yet.


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: Where to get aluminum head
Posted by: DC Townsend
Date: March 06, 2013 06:53PM

"Nowhere near as much as a V8 :-). A well prepped Healey six vintage racer will put out 200 bhp. The best racers have put out about 285 bhp, but it's going to take a lot more than an ali head to get near that."

You know, when I started the MG, I actually considered building up the 4-banger - originality (sort of), no swap headaches, all the usual reasons. So I ran a build sheet and, by the time I was done, it was every bit of about $8000 and maybe a little more. As we both know, you can build out a heck of an SBF for half that money (except if you go dry-sump of course) and get twice the horsepower. Unless your building a vintage racer, seems to me it;s hard to make a good $/horsepower argument for keeping the original lumps.



pointnette
Stan Thompson
France
(13 posts)

Registered:
11/24/2012 07:56AM

Main British Car:
1999 Toyota Corolla; 1978 Volvo 244 both run bicarburation LPG/petrol

Re: Where to get aluminum head
Posted by: pointnette
Date: March 08, 2013 09:32AM

Moss has one, too:
[www.mossmotors.com]


Demidion
Joe Verna

(6 posts)

Registered:
03/05/2013 01:49PM

Main British Car:


Re: Where to get aluminum head
Posted by: Demidion
Date: March 10, 2013 12:50PM

There is no substitute for cubic inches that's for sure! I was just looking at Jegs and the 480hp LS3 for $8000... hmmmmmmmmmm


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: Where to get aluminum head
Posted by: DC Townsend
Date: March 10, 2013 07:10PM

You could certainly go that route but 480HP in a 2000 lb car is going to be problematic on several levels. First, is just getting enough tire under it to provide any kind of hook up without tubbing the rear end. Then there's resolving the whole wind up problems that come with the straight axle/leaf spring rear end. And the list goes on. Truly, I'm guessing mine will put out a tad over 400HP when complete and, even with all of the suspension and drive train modifications I've pursued, I still have no realistic expectations of having it really "git and go" without feathering the throttle on the way in.

Bottom line is, you can buy any number of SBF crate motors or long blocks that will put out 340HP-425HP for half the money you're talking about. To me (and that's the operable word here), spending $4,000 for HP bragging rights seems kind of silly.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/11/2013 02:05PM by DC Townsend.


Moderator
Curtis Jacobson
Portland Oregon
(4576 posts)

Registered:
10/12/2007 02:16AM

Main British Car:
71 MGBGT, Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: Where to get aluminum head
Posted by: Moderator
Date: March 10, 2013 10:14PM

So now it's time to be practical? I think there's an especially good case to be made for "going big" with an Austin Healey project.

This thread needs photos, and if you guys won't post them I will. Enjoy this!
http://www.britishv8.org/Other/MartinJansen/MartinJansen-B.JPG


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: Where to get aluminum head
Posted by: DC Townsend
Date: March 11, 2013 02:09PM

"So now it's time to be practical?"

Yeah, probably a little for me in that department, eh? That said, I've already started thinking about another build (cue up the divorce attorney please). This one would focus on optimizing the horsepower and suspension with the planned weight of the car. Just the excuse I need to line up for one of Dave's new body kits.

DT


roverman
Art Gertz
Winchester, CA.
(3188 posts)

Registered:
04/24/2009 11:02AM

Main British Car:
74' Jensen Healy, 79 Huff. GT 1, 74 MGB Lotus 907,2L

Re: Where to get aluminum head
Posted by: roverman
Date: March 13, 2013 11:33AM

Way to go David, a Sebring, Tranverse mounted mid-engined, MGB GT beast. Perhaps a Gen III Hemi, under glass ?? Healey Monster II, is taken/lol. roverman.


Demidion
Joe Verna

(6 posts)

Registered:
03/05/2013 01:49PM

Main British Car:


Re: Where to get aluminum head
Posted by: Demidion
Date: July 26, 2013 12:32PM

Wow now that's cool Curtis!

Practical... don't think I know that word I'll have to go look it up... lol

Well I will say my 280Z wieghed in at 2800 lbs and I was putting out about 525hp with 245/50/16 tires. I used a t-56 trans and the stock Datsun rear with a limited slip. I also had the lightest aluminum flywheel I could find. I think the flywheel helped significantly reduce the amount of tourque available on launch so it wasn't that bad and damn but it was fast.

Now I really am starting to think about how I would go about shoehorning one in... which engine is best, light enough etc...

fun!


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