Generally speaking, optimism is considered to be a good thing. A positive outlook makes it easier to deal with life’s ups and downs. But sometimes extreme optimism can turn into delusion especially when a wadded up sports car is called a “great candidate for restoration.” This 1967 Austin Healey 3000 for sale here on eBay in Bellflower, California for $5,950 OBO might be on the far edge of extreme optimism.
Big Healeys have been on an upward trajectory in value for a number of years. It seems that anything from the “classic” period of British sports car building with more than four cylinders has been eagerly sought after by buyers. This increase in value makes the investment in restorations a sensible option – or maybe less painful. I’m just not optimistic enough to believe that this poor old bent and rusted Austin-Healey is worth saving.
The seller says that the car was originally British Racing Green. We’ll need to take his word on that one since the photos show a bunch of different paint colors as well as several fetching shades of corrosion. There isn’t one panel on this “restoration candidate” that isn’t severely bent or rusted. You can see from the photos that the center of the car seems to be supported with wooden pallets, giving it slightly humpbacked appearance.
Photos of the interior show what you would expect from the condition of the rest of the car. The seat frames are present as is some of the instrumentation, but there’s not much else to get excited about. What we can see of the floors look like they may be intact, but considering the condition of the rest of the car, it’s not much to write home about.
It does have an engine and if it is what it was born with, it should be the 2,900 cc straight six cylinder putting out 150 horsepower. Gear swapping was done with a four-speed manual transmission. Overdrive was an option but we aren’t told whether this car was so equipped. I’ll wager that the engine is locked up tight. It may sound like I’m being unfair to this car but just because any car can be restored, it doesn’t mean that every car should be restored. I hope that the seller gets the asking price since it could mean that my clapped-out British stuff might be worth more than I thought.
There looks like there are lots of useable parts and a vin tag as well. Personally I think his asking price is to high but not an expert on British cars. This does have donor potential and if you were restoring one with a better body and frame you’d likely want this car. I can’t help wonder if the poor guy driving this car was killed in the crash that bent this thing up, must have been a terrible seen.
Vin tag won’t be very usable in Healey circles as it will be registered in the BJ8 registry as a total loss rust bucket.
Was it wrecked or dropped off a bluff and landed right side up on a boulder?
Man, this is the bottom of the barrel. (looks like where they found it) I think they pulled the straps too tight. Apparently, this is all that remains for big Healey projects. I’m sure your car loving wife will love you for bringing this home.
I hope the train that hit this wasn’t hurt
I actually think it has been dumped at the local tip and has been pushed around by the dozer.
No it is actually a restoration done by a professional golfer in his or her spare time. It only took 47 years to get it to this stage.
All the purchaser needs is a few rolls of Mac-Tac to cover the dents, and for the chrome bits, a roll of aluminum foil.
I can’t understand the total lack of consideration for 47 years of hard work.
( :
So, how’s the frame? This is awful.
I assume theses pictures were taken at a “who has the most rediculous restoration project” show judging by the mustang sitting on the flatbed in front of this Healy. I see a winner here
If it wore a Porsche badge this would be half way to restoration.
……and 5x the cost!
No way there’s that much value in parts. What a dreamer.
I guess this is what happens when one smokes way to much Mary Jane and get a pipe dream of big bucks from abandoned cars ready to be crushed
Looks as if the crushing has been done.
Numbers match? Was the luggage rack damaged? On the bright side, the new owner can have all new electrics.
No way this car is a 6K parts car. Maybe 2K if the engine is not seized, but that would also be pushing it. As for the rest of it, there might be a part here or there that could be restored, but not much else.
The problem is, it’s the Porsche 365 syndrome. Prices on restored cars go nuts, and anyone with a rustbucket in the back of the yard is your ticket to riches…
I have a rear clip available
The good news is that it has less than 23,000 miles….
It will buff out
Does the trailer come with it?
Still not worth the price. ( apologies to Jessie for incorrect post )
Gather round folks! Come one come all! Fer a mere 6 grand I’ll let you take home to yer sweet bride Not One but TWO Gin-U-Whine Austin Healey Door Handles!!!! Plus a almost reeee store able luggage rack !!!! And today and today only I will let ya tote all this treasure home to yer luvin bride on this UNIQUE 3 WHEEL TRAILER!!!!! HURRY! HURRY! HURRY!
Ran when parked.
Ran when dropped! :)
There seems to be a ridiculous trend, palletized piles of crumpled rust. It started with the Porsches and now we have moved on to the Healeys.
I will never understand what some people think a thing like this is worth.
Too many ppl watching barrett Jackson auction on tv. They think because a restored car sells for 100k or better, they have the next 100k dollar car. They do not see the work and money that goes into those cars. Some guys break even, some guys make a huge profit and others, well they lose their shirts
$100,000.00 would not even fix the body!. This car is worth zero. A person offering such a pile of gunga should be placed in stocks in the village square where the crowd can throw rotten tomatoes at his face interspersed with some short spurts of having the leather applied to his bare back.
Soon to be offered at BHCC for only $8999.00!
Everything on or in this is poor Healey is broken, bent, delaminated, rusted through or likely locked up.
Even the hauler is missing parts. I guess the seller just doesn’t think having all 4 wheels on 4-wheel car hauler is worth the trouble. At least this poor Healey, the hauler, and the seller are in sync with each other.
All you would need to add to this pile to end up with a decent, restorable Big Healey on a good car hauler is a decent, restorable Big Healey on a good car hauler.
Not to mention the creative strapping job. This unit has violations a mile long. Where’s Buford T. Justice when you need him?
I really wonder what the seller has in mind here. Looking for offers at half the price? Selling the VIN tag? Let’s get serious – there isn’t a usable body panel on the car, the frame is clearly toast, and the engine/trans are an unknown.
Is it worth a couple grand for the VIN, a possibly rebuildable engine/trans, and a few trinkets? Maybe….
Also, what would you swap the Vin to anyways?
Another 67 BJ8? Why?
I guess you could buy every piece and build a phantom car, but the cost of that would be crazy.
“wadded up”. Perfect description
Hey, a little paint, some elbow grease and Bob’s yer uncle!
The problem is, those watching Mecum saw a restored, national concourse winning big Healey sell in the last week for $56K. The market has softened considerably for these cars restored as so many have come to market or whatever. Maybe he saw a similar one on BHCC as the ask is about the same.
I guess as a piece of lawn art it might be worth it, but no other justification, parts or otherwise, make this thing even worth a grand.
Asking and Getting are two different things.
Yep. People in Hell want ice water too.
I’m thinking the right thing to do would be as follows; get back in the truck, turn around and take these turds back to the dump ground where they were found, including the trailer, reburying this pile. What gets me is the asking price. Ridiculous!
Gotta laugh at the photo in the headline. First prospect to look at it and is wisely walking away.
Wonder what these twin 63 model 3000s are worth. 2 of them, both twins except for interior color. They have been sitting under a house a few towns away from me for 35 years.
What are they “worth”? Based on the featured car, about $25K each. To me, about $1K each…. maybe.
It looks as if Wile E. Coyote drove this car right off the cliff. To quote Supertamp, “*Dreamer, you’re nothing but a dreamer”. I have seen better cars in the middle of the woods.
Here is another photo. Rusty but complete and older models too. Rough but in much better shape than the one here.
Dear lord baby Jesus, why would you loan your Healey to my sister to run a few errands??!!
Most definitely. I would drain out a bit of brake fluid before departs, so the brake petal goes down easy so as not to strain her ankle.
My first thought. This thing looks like a bruised turd.
“Austin Heave-ly”
I am of the veiw that it has overdrive. Note that alloy pull button to the right of the steering wheel mounted just under the dash.
It has a red centre and I am confident that is the OD pull switch.
My brother had an old 3000 1960 /horizontal grill, RHD, and it was on the right of the drivers wheel mounted under the dash like an after fitting. Gave trouble [ the switch] and had to be replaced.
The market is going dotty over Healeys at present…
Gimme a break. Many years ago in the eighties I was driving my brother’s ’67 3000 when the hood flew up and bent in two.. If memory serves me they were aluminum. Cost me an arm and a leg. This would take a couple of whole bodies.
If this was an Aston Martin DB5 it would already have a freshly hammered out aluminium body with the owner picking his leather color choice.
$59.50
You’re being generous John.
Ps: that A-H is not a prospective resto project. I’ve had three and it’s a donner at best. That frame is a goner and the drive train’s only a good possibility. I would have a problem putting $2000. on it. Any finished restoration BJ OR BN will not bring the money to cover cost.
Everything is overpriced in California.
I would take this to my desert home in AZ and carefully make it part of the desert landscape after removing the saveable parts. It will stay in its current state till it returns to the earth in powdered form.
So for all the 1967 3000 mk111 Healey Buffs out there in Barnfind land, how much would YOU be willing to pay for one of these in pristine condition? And it is the British green with black interior, low mileage and garage kept since 1970.
Any serious buyers out there who would step up to the plate, besides Wayne or Jay?
This has been relisted as a bid and 3 people have bid it up to over $1000. $500 for each rear signal and one brake lights.
I missed something in my post of Sept.4th. I guess the ail lights may be a candidate for spare parts.