After spending 30 years with the current owner, this Austin Healey 3000 project is available to the next person who has the time, money, and space to complete it. Described as un-rusty, this 3000 has some rust, but is very solid overall. Equipped with a factory hardtop, and some Dayton wires, this one is aching to be completed. The seller is willing to part ways with his beloved Healey for $21,750. Find it here on craigslist out of Davis, California.
Overall the body of this 3000 appears straight, but has had some minor body work. The frame is rock solid, and the exterior body looks to be rot free. On the other hand the floors are a bit thin with some holes, so they may be due for replacement. Originally intended for racing, the Dayton built wire wheels have a nice appearance, and are attached to forged centers with longer splines. The wheels have some rust developing around the outer most edge of the barrel, but they look as if they would clean up, but they still may be due for a truing and inspection of the spokes.
Although there are two engines and transmissions included with the car, the seller has not mentioned if he has the original drivetrain to this 3000. Both engines appear to be disassembled, and it also appears that only one engine is complete. Although the drivetrain needs some work, the seller completely rebuilt the suspension before taking the car apart. The interior photos don’t show much of the cockpit, but the seller claims the car needs interior work. Beyond the needs, and few missing items, this Healey looks like a solid start to a restoration. Would you complete the restoration of this 3000?
We’ve been over and over the crazy prices for Big Healey’s. Next to Hemi-Cuda’s, seems to be one of the most over-inflated cars. What IS amazing, in the many 3000’s I’ve encountered ( brother had a 100/6) I’ve never seen one with a factory hardtop ( and the seller obviously knows that) I read, these really helped the car ( I had a hardtop on my MGB) but it said, you have to remove the entire convertible top to mount it. These are fun cars, not exactly the nicest car to drive, exhilarating? Yes, comfortable? No. Love the hardtop. I think interest has topped out on these, and prices for nice ones are finally coming down to ridiculous levels. Pristine ones still seem to bring 6 figures,( for a while, it seemed EVERY Big Healey was 6 figures) but there were some (on Hemmings) that were driveable for this price, just not in California.
Howard A, I acquired a factory hardtop for my father’s 1960 3000 back in the 1980s, and presented it to him as a birthday gift. These lids did not fit very well, at least in this particular case; it’s possible the job was easier when both car and top were new! Didn’t match up to the sidescreens all that well, either….
It did make the car a bit nicer to drive when the weather was cold, but was not so wonderful in summer, as it trapped the heat that poured into the interior. Looked lovely, but was seldom used. At the time, no one was making replacements for the Plexiglass rear window, which had gotten a bit cloudy.
Wish I still had the car, with or without hardtop. My father put lots of miles on it — more than 500,000 miles in the 35 years he drove it — and it was unbreakable.
Yeah, the hardtop fit is -Meh- It fits but some air gets through. Very typical, you are, after all, holding a fibreglass top onto an aluminum car with 4 clips. But it works and I like the car better with the top on it. As far as I can tell the car was ordered new with the hardtop.. Windows are available from England at about $350 shipped. A complete seal kit is another $250
I. had. 61. Sold it for 600 bucks so I could get a vw bus. Yeah, I know. I even drove the Healy to the buyer. I loved that car. The OD, c’mon man, somebody shoot me. I would take on this project in a heartbeat. If it truly has a rust free frame, it’s a prime candidate. You will never go under water with this one. Sure, it would cost a bunch to make concourse, but that’s only fun if you don’t intend to use it. The beauty of Healys is running them. I just love that feeling, flipping the OD switch,the rear lays down, the revs drop to 2500 and you can cruise down any highway all day. At least til the dark lord Lucas rears his ugly head. Part of any redo must include everything electric, everything new. Price seems steep for the starting point this ones in. I’d do it anyway if I could.
Had a ’67 3000……in as near pristine condition as a 22 year old car could be. Driving it down the road one day the hood flew up and crumpled in half. Found a guy who straightened it, surprisingly, and it looked untouched. Sold it for six thousand dollars……another one that I sold as I worked my way through a litany of cars I liked and that now are only available at a premium. Still the same fine car……but…….
Sounds like this has been off the road +- 20 years. I agree the hard top is a great selling point and a valuable item, but a lot of the description along with the pictures makes me value this at less than the asking price. I owned and loved a ’63 3000 and yes, as Alan says, the OD is fun. I sold it to buy a new 1969 AMC Javelin SST. Wish I had THAT car back.
Seller here: I believe one of the engines is original as it was in the car when I got it. But, I don’t know as I’ve never done the British Motor Heritage thing. It really doesn’t matter as the engine number tag on these is removable and you can get an original stamped plate with your matching engine number for a few dollars…
$21 thousand would go a long ways towards paying off a new Miata or Mini. Think about it for a minute and you will realize the foolishness of spending this kind of money on an old British car. I have old British cars and sometimes I question my sanity for spending four or five thousand for an old Spitfire when I can get a really nice used Miata for the same price.
It’s time to start using some common sense when pricing these old British cars. You can get the same smiles per mile for a lot less money. And isn’t that what it’s all about.
Just a minute, driving a miata for a mile = driving one of these for a mile. Not on my highway.
In 1970 I bought a 1960 Big Healey 3000 for 1000 bux. Drove it for a year, cost 60 bux a week in “improvements” parts to keep it running. Positive earth meant my VW AmFm radio w negative earth sparked every time I touched it. Sold a year later for 1000. Easy come easy go back then. It was a rare BN7 two seater.
You know of course (now) you can convert to -ve ground in about 10 minutes right? and everything would still work….
Back then I had no idea. I was working at the Porsche Audi dealer and we had tons of take out AM FM non stereo radios, FREE. We all rigged them in our cars one way or another. FM had just become popular in 1971 or so and it was a big deal.
Don’t mess with lord of darkness, just bite the bullet and replace all electrics with new. It will work great until you F with it. Old radios had a switchable +\- in back. Who needs a radio in a Healy anyway?
My Mom had a 1965 Austin-Healey 3000 MK III, she did not buy new. I learned how to drive the highways with it, it was a blast. Chicks were an easy pick-up, they would do anything for a ride. Those were the days, well…. the nights too.
But the roadster was a nightmare on gravel roads, I think I’m 3 inches shorter as a result.
My Mom sold it, because someone offered her $1400. more than she paid for it.
Who knew it would give a better return than a Treasury Bond.
If the shop that this Healey is in has a lift it would be good to lift the car and take some well lit photos from underneath. That would help someone to know whether the car is worth the trouble of trying to make it whole again, since the asking is at the top of the market for a car like this with so many parts taken out and disassembled, and some of them now missing.
When major parts have been removed and disassembled, with many of the pieces maybe there and maybe not, for me that drops the value significantly. Maybe for someone who has rebuilt a dozen Big Healey engines and transmissions and can reassemble them from memory that would be OK, but otherwise the time / effort / risk are too great to pay a top of the market price for something mainly in pieces and with lots of needs.
As usual, it’s best to either leave the car as-is, or else do the work right away and get it back together. If you have to figure out what’s up with the car, what’s there, what’s not there, what each component needs or doesn’t need, and then chase parts for the car and do the required work, it becomes a major project that you know will involve lots of time, energy, and money.
Here are a couple pics of the hardtop brochure, if you’ve never seen one.
Shoulda turned the lights on. Sorry.
I particularly like this ad as it keeps me in the dark.
It is just one more thing I do not have to collect.
I only wish the rest of my auto memorabilia collection was this bright and cheerful, it would be much easier to store.
Lucas electrics :)
I totally understand the comments on the price, really. But, for some rationalization: Attached are two pics of a 100/6 that didn’t make reserve today on Ebay.. It was bid up to $10,100 and didn’t sell, reserve was higher. 100/6s, with their two port intakes and front drum brakes are the least desired of all Big Healeys. This car needs a chassis, doors, at least 2 fenders, interior, etc, etc… The cost of only the parts to do the metal repair is around $11,000, that puts its cost at what I’m asking, you don’t get a hardtop and doesn’t include the labor to replace all that metal. Someone was willing to pay $10,100 for it… Keep that in mind. It is in horrible shape. I’m open to offers, but, damn, my car is a deal compared to that pile of rust.
Hi John, whatever the market will pull. In a slightly unrelated ( yet related) subject, that underside pic of the rusty one sure takes me back. My brother had a ’58, 100/6 and would tear the exhaust off on a regular basis. We took turns going back to get the pieces. It sure sounded nice when that happened.
I had to enter my driveway sideways to keep from ripping the exhaust off. Most Healy drivers have adopted this tactic.
Next Photo
I emailed the seller to tell him I have a transmission tunnel that I am selling and to let the future buyer (maybe one of you?) know about it.