ABANDONED! Austin Healey Customized in the '60s and Left for Dead
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- Опубликовано: 14 мар 2024
- This Austin Healey is ONE of a KIND and it's been sitting outside for many decades! Somebody, somewhere poured their heart and soul into making this Austin Healey 3000 roadster into a WILD hot rod. It's a full custom hot rod build with Chrysler torsion bar suspension, an Oldsmobile 215ci Aluminum V8, home made headers, CUSTOM transmission, and all sorts of custom body work. The windshield is the back glass from a Tri Five Chevy with a custom round tube frame. It has 14 inch steel wheels...3 of them. What a crusty old car...but what a story it must have. Join me in studying its wild details and let's hope we can find some information and history on this thing!
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What a British engine conversion!
The gm 215 was sold to us brits mid 60s and it was sold as the rover v8 over here, it found it's way between the shocks of a lot of cars here back in the day. We didn't have many v8s here and the light compact engine was perfect for hot rodders here, with the small cars we had.
The back end, if stock, I'm pretty sure would've been a Salisbury axle, they were fitted to nearly every big brit car of the era, Jags Jensens etc, so maybe it had a hub conversion.
That might look crude to some, but that actually took some talent and hard work with what tools they probably had back in the day. Very interesting piece of car history.
Thank you for the history and detailed once over on this beauty. I subscribed to your channel today .😊👍
Definitely buy it, prime it or clear coat it to stabilise the metal and put some period correct wheels and tires on it even if you don't drive it
It deserves to be saved as a part of history ❤
Back in the 80s I saw a Bugeye Sprite that, unbelievably, had a swapped in 426 Hemi!! It must have been an evil little monster, a poor man's 427 Cobra!
Extremely unique car! I'd say historic possibility if it pans out to be one of the 3 race car drivers cars from the era. Although the hood cuts are crude. Bondo and it's obvious this had a lot that wouldn't be noticeable if it were finished out. Considering all the modification I'd lean towards it was finished or close to and something happened to the owner and it's sat outside since it's heyday. Great find thank you for sharing it.
At first I thought it was a T-bird. The front has a Thunderbird look to it. And the headlights have a Datsun 280Z look. Definitely someone's creation, that's for sure. That transmission weld had me too....wow!! Unusual to fit something together that doesn't otherwise go together. Neat car though!! 👍
I knew a fellow in California (Ed the plummer) that had a Austin Healey with a 327 Chevrolet engine and 60 series tires that was scary quick
Cool story, thanks for sharing....btw. buy it.
I know that a mid-60s 300 Buick crank can be swapped into a 215 block, and you get about 240 ci. With the aluminum block. I believe the Rover 4.2 is basically the same thing.
Projects that outlived the vision budget
What a conversation piece! Definitely would like to find out more about its history. Someone loved this ride.
Not enough to preserve it properly.
That has WAY to much time in it !!!!
I bet it was a prototype for some dealership, or something. That has a LOT of hours in the metal work alone. I'd buy it
I noticed the rear end uses a VW torsion bar system as well. Not sure if you saw this or not. The end plate of the torsion bar assy is noticeable as well as the horizontal plate that acts as a swing arm from the torsion tube. Someone was very creative indeed!!
That was a lot of work!!
My -59 DeSoto has a front suspension that looks just like that, so your theories are correct there.
I just love how roughly welded everything is, it´s no chance this was made in a professional shop. But the guy who made it sure had a lot of interesting thoughts about how to build a car🙂
Dennis Collins needs this he's the man on these
I saw one like this on his channel rougher than a stucco bathtub. It had 4lug in the front and 5lug in the back
he is not at all...lots more more knowledgeable than that turd
He's a Nash-Healy collector.
so what...this is an Austin Healey w an E....Collins is a dirtbag car flipper....screws people over for a profit....
My uncle had an Austin Healey that he dropped a V8 into in the early 70s, car was gorgeous and fast.
There's a car that looks similar to this one sitting on top of a big rock in Wappapello, MO. I've only seen it from the road while driving by, but this resembles it.
My advice:
Save the body panels...stretch em and slap it on a promod.
Well done video.
I was just wondering about you yesterday.
Very interesting build. I hope you 'can' find more info. That motor is worth its weight in gold.
No it's not.
Front end, the flat grille is from a '58 Ford. IE Stone, Woods & Cooke !
Dope story
Very cool. The real history could be really interesting champion. Im hoping you'll find it. Thanks. 👍🇦🇺
The builder seems to have more skill than money
Very interesting..
That grill looks very George barris, looking
The 215 v8 weighed something under 400lbs fully dressed. Popular swap in British sports cars here in U.S. Olds used a very unpopular version with a turbo in the early 60s.
The shift lever placement gives this away as the original Austin Healey transmission. MGC’s had torsion bar front suspension. What’s an MGC? Take an MGB/MGB GT, change the front suspension from lever shocks and coil springs to tube shocks and torsion bars. Then take a big, heavy cast iron straight 6 engine and 4 speed or 3 speed automatic and install them. It’s possible that front suspension/chassis clip could be MGC. The 5 lug rear axle has me baffled as your right, they always had wire wheels. MGC’s could be had with normal steel wheels or wires so maybe the rear axle is MGC as well? No idea if the MGC had 5 lug wheels though, I’ve only seen a few of them and they had wires. The rear fenders are original except for the tail light housing. Trunk lid and surround are original. Doors are original. Dash is original to the middle, the center - right has been modified. Gauges are original. The 215 Buick was sold to Rover of course snd used for decades, well into the 2000’s in Range and Land Rovers. Also, fun side note, a hot rodded version called the Repco-Brabham powered Jack Brabham to his Formula One Championship in 1966. Parts for Austin Healey’s are completely available as are Buick/Rover engine parts. If it’s Chrysler torsion front suspension then it should be rebuildable. The rear axle is a question but someone will know. Cool find!
Wow, it's a shame that it's rusted to almost nothing, good conversation piece though, very interesting what they did.
Love it!
The front panel area is reminiscent of an mgb.
Yard art fur sure
Acid dip, dry ice - no problemo, probably worth it
Looks like a frog crossed with a corvette
I know it was kinda popular to convert these into vette look alikes if you were on a budget
I think there were even kits available to do so
👍👍
Check out DD speedshop he started a kit car Healy build. But don't want to finish. It's for sale. Brand new deal still in box. Check his video. Comes as a kit car. Fiberglass. Thats a great build. Thanks for video
How much they asking for it I would bring it back to life and get it running
It looks burnt up.