1967 Austin-Healey 3000MKIII

This car has been made new again by its owner of 32 years, a mechanical engineer. This car saw a full frame-up restoration from 1994 to 1997.  The general description is common with other Big Healys of the era. It is completely stock except for a spin-on oil filter.

To begin the restoration, the car was stripped of anything non-metallic. The rocker panel spot welds were removed by a spot weld cutter. New rear quarter panels were hammer gas welded in place (the bead transition is excellent), new rocker panels were spot welded, and a new trunk floor was fitted. The floor panels are original and had no rust.

The entire chassis was then dipped at Redi-strip, an alkaline paint stripping facility in Vancouver Canada and then phosphate etched in a second dip tank to improve corrosion resistance and enhance paint adhesion.  

The lower extremity of the entire chassis was spatter undercoated and then painted with Dupont Imron paint.  This car was purified of any evidence of rust and remains so today.

New hydraulic lines, wiring harness, and air ducts were fitted. All chassis running gear was painted with black, high-gloss Imron. Moving parts and miscellaneous linkages that would not tolerate painting were cadmium plated (e.g., door strike plates).  The front coil springs were heat treated after cadmium plating to eliminate hydrogen embrittlement.

Many parts were re-chromed at one of Puget Sound’s best chrome shops: windscreen frame, grill surround, bumpers, 72 spoke wire wheel knock-offs, bumpers etc. A new windscreen glass was installed.

The engine block was reconditioned at Johnny’s Machine Works, Seattle.  New OEM SU fuel pump, stock carburetors, professionally rebuilt generator and starter motors, new oil pump, new exhaust heat shields.  The radiator was hot tanked. Rear leaf springs were rebuilt and new suspension parts front and rear were fitted. The gas tank interior epoxy was coated. A standard exhaust was fitted.

In the interior, the dash was restored with a new burls-eye maple veneer to eliminate the deep cracking of the original veneer. It has an original BMC AM radio (not working). New leather seats and interior kit, new soft top professionally fitted. Overdrive works great. The turn signals and engine gauges work fine and the speedo and tach were rebuilt by Nisonger Instruments in 2020. It has an original steering wheel in very good shape. Heater core was reconditioned (hot tanked).

Dunlop 72 spoke chrome wire wheels (the chrome is fading). Kleber V12GTS tires; no spare. A box of spares is included, including the original oil filter assembly.

The only thing not rebuilt were the steering box, shocks, transmission, and differential. Brakes were rebuilt in 2020, including the servo.

I never planned to sell this car, my third and final Healy.  I restored it not for profit but for the love of it. Every piece of rubber and fabric and wiring was replaced if it was available. I have previously owned a 1959 100-6 and 1961 3000 BN2 and restored both of those but not frame up. Getting the frame and all steel parts stripped was the best step, allowing for a clean-room style restoration. I vowed to eliminate all rust and spared no detail of restoration, visible or not.  Since completing the restoration 20 years ago it has seen less than 1000 miles and has always been garaged