We have all heard the adage about the shoemaker’s shoes.  That adage may be true when it comes to most professions and their possessions, but with British car mechanics, I’d like to think things would be a little different by necessity.  Take a look at this 1967 Austin Healey BJ-8 being sold here on eBay in Wylie, Texas.  This “Big Healey” is advertised as the personal car of a long-time British car mechanic.  Besides decades worth of job security, this mechanic also had a very well kept and desirable car to enjoy.  Should the car’s lineage help to raise the value, or is the $38,500 buy it now price out of line for an unrestored Healey?

Big Healeys are well respected and loved among British car enthusiasts.  Larger and faster than most other British sports cars of the era, these cars had a reputation for being reliable and more comfortable as well.  When production started in 1953, the car was a two-seat roadster powered by a four-cylinder engine.  Donald Healey developed and refined them as the years went on.  By the end of production in 1967, the car had a full convertible top, a fixed windshield could seat four (if two were small children), and a six-cylinder engine with overdrive transmission.  By then it had developed a reputation as less of a sports car and more of a fast, comfortable touring car.

Another thing that Big Healeys didn’t have were emissions controls and US government-mandated safety equipment.  When regulations became a requirement for cars sold in America, Donald Healey simply stopped selling these cars in the states.  The car you see in the ad represents the end of the line for these cars.  While we are not told that the mechanic purchased it to grab a good car before it was too late, that’s what we want to believe.  In fact, we are not told much about the mechanic other than the fact he was a certified BMC mechanic and that he bought the car in 1968.

We can see his touch throughout the car.  Take for example the heat shield above the exhaust on the left side of the picture above.  Big Healeys have a reputation for being very warm inside due to the location of the exhaust close to the floor pan.  You can also see that one of the supports on the right was replaced at one time.  For a car with 106,399 miles on it, the car does look very good underneath.

There is some crazing of the paint on the hood and in other areas.  However, there is no rust to be found on the car except for a few spots of surface rust in worn areas.  The seller tells us that the previous mechanic owner kept the car in excellent mechanical shape.  The statement they use is “worn in but not worn out.”

Under the hood, the engine looks to be the recipient of a formal cleaning.  At the end of production, these engines were rated at 150 horsepower.  This was pretty powerful in comparison to the car’s European competitors.  Paired with an overdrive unit, enthusiast’s fell in love with just how tractable and smooth these last Healeys were.

Many people feel the Big Healeys were the best of the British sportscars.  Who can argue this point?  They were big enough to be comfortable, had a respectable amount of horsepower, were very reliable, and the styling is still gorgeous.  You can see why this mechanic purchased this car and kept it all these years. Is the Big Healey the perfect British sportscar?