Sadly, I knew without looking that this beleaguered 1961 Austin Healey 3000 hailed from my neck of the woods, listed for sale in Connecticut and being swallowed alive by the tin worm. The Healey may look reasonably complete with that factory hardtop still affixed, but that’s where the good news ends. The seller notes that the car is equipped with a complete drivetrain, but that the engine is currently stuck. Rust is pervasive inside the cabin, so check out the Healey here on eBay to see if it can be rescued or if this snow belt find is destined to be parted out.
Now, I’m a sucker for the details that tell you a bit about a car’s past, so the old-school University of Connecticut sticker in the back window of the hardtop indicates to me this belonged to a.) a very cool professor, or b.) a spoiled college student. Either way, you can bet this Healey was used like a daily driver for many years throughout the winter months in New England, which would explain its extremely rusty condition, inside and out. The seller believes it was originally red in color, and you can still see what looks like factory paint under the trunk lid.
The interior actually doesn’t look nearly as bad as I was expecting, with the exception of the missing floor, of course. There’s not much left, sure, but what is there looks clean. Rust really is everywhere, though, from the floors to the rear bulkhead, and the windshield frame has also gone missing which has likely been letting water into the cabin for some time. The door panels don’t look terrible and both seat frames are still present, along with the dash – so hopefully, there’s enough to work from as a template if good spares can’t be found.
The seller notes it is equipped with triple carbs and overdrive transmission but that the engine is currently stuck. It doesn’t seem like any sort of diagnostic work was done, so perhaps there’s a chance that some Marvel Mystery Oil or other lubricant could help free it up. The seller mentions that it rolls and steers, so you have that going for you. There’s no title and it will be sold on a bill of sale only, which may automatically make it a parts car depending on where you live. Still, bidding is over $3K at the moment with the reserve unmet, so at least two people want it.
Pretty sure this is a ’62, as it has the center-shift transmission (earlier cars had the shift lever sprouting from the left side of the transmission tunnel), a late change for BT7s….
Sadly, that’s about all it has going for it. I don’t see many parts I’d want to save (possibly the hardtop, maybe), but everything else looks too beaten-up to think about.
I’m a fan, and I suppose if I hit a big Powerball jackpot I could write a six-figure check to get one of the major Healey restorers to replace everything and make it shiny and fresh. But I doubt that will happen.
For me, the current bid is way above value.
I agree with you about the shifter also.And I thought a tri-carb setup was a first for 1962.Friend had 1962….learned to drive a manual on it.
If I’m not mistaken the tri-carb setup was a ‘62 one year only feature, I had a ‘62 tri-carb Healey, worn out when I bought it in ‘69 but I loved driving it anyway…
If the serial number HBT7L16746 is correct, it is a 1962 MKII tricarb car.
The restoration will end up costing more than the car is worth. If it truly was a New England car driven year round, it would be a major worry. The frames are notorious for rusting inside out, so even if you have a good looking frame, it could be just a matter of time before it wishbones on you. I saw a “fully restored” car do just that years ago.
I suppose the scariest part is the snow tire on the right rear drive tire( and mounted to a wire wheel, so you know it was used) and the hardtop, proof, at one time, this was just someone’s winter beater. Too far gone, but a treasure trove of parts for someone.. I wouldn’t even bother trying to get it running, but the O/D, triple carb ( even just the manifold) all well worth it. Bottom of the barrel for big Healey fans here, fantastic cars, just not this one.
probably dragged out of a salvage yard after they cut the tree growing through the floor? Sad very sad.
It’s a ’62. Even the very early tri-carbs, sometimes titled as ’61 because that’s when the first ’62’s were sold, are side shift. So if you have a center-shift tricarb roadster, it’s a ’62.
There is an awful lot wrong with this car beyond rust. Many interior mods, likely done as repairs, are incorrect, but given the state of the deterioration they’d have to be fixed anyway. There are also several things missing. Combine that formula with the frozen engine and this will be one very, very expensive restoration. I’d just about count on having to replace the frame (which are available as reproductions and are very good from Jule in Canada).
Also, that hard-top isn’t necessarily original to that car. It’s not “fitted” as the windshield frame is not intact, so it’s just resting there. Depending on if the hardware for the top is there, you’d be looking at between $3,000-5000 just for to restore that.
It’s also worth noting there is no title, just a bill of sale, for this car. I’d check with the registry (through the Austin Healey Club) for tri-carbs to see if there is a previous owner that registered it. Tri-carb owners tend to do this no matter the condition of the car and the list goes back several decades.
Looks like a rare West German export model with the hex knock-ons and separate blinkers in the rear shroud?