"Trevor Slattery, ACTOR" (anacostiabikecompany)
10/06/2014 at 16:44 • Filed to: None
8
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"Trevor Slattery, ACTOR" (anacostiabikecompany)
10/06/2014 at 16:44 • Filed to: None | 8
| 18 |
What we will be test driving today is a 1960 Austin Healey 3000 MkII. It is being serviced because the car keeps shutting off. Changed points and rotor, tuned up the carbs, etc. Still not 100% sure we got it. May be the electric fuel pump. As the mechanic is not allowed to drive cars (LONG story, that) and the boss was not in, I was forced, FORCED I tell you, to take it out for a test drive to see if it was running right.
3 liters of inline six cylinder goodness. Outside of Aston Martin and Jaguar's Hall of Fame inline 6's, this is about as good as it got from Britain in 1960.
I love early cars with sidecurtains instead of roll up windows. Look how the top of the dash flows into the polished aluminum door trim.
A little something for the door handle junkies.
And now onto the review!
The car has a starter button and a manual choke, so you turn the key into the run position, listen to make sure that suspect fuel pump is running, pull the choke out halfway and push the starter button and the car fires right up. The mechanic did his tune up well. The mechanic mentions to me that the shift linkage is a little "out of spec" and the hydraulics could use a touch of work, and off we go....
Or maybe not. First gear anyone? Bueller? Christ...the linkage is abysmal. I push in the clutch and attempt 1st gear. CRUNCH. The mechanic says, "it has to go ALL the way to the floor to get it to engage." So I push on the clutch HARD and feel like another 1 1/2" of movement...AHHH. Now I got it. Release the emergency brake and...for the love of God who designed this pedal assembly. I know the gas and brake pedal are down there somewhere. I put the E-brake back on, physically LOOK at the location of the pedals and set off. By this time the car has warmed up, so I can dispense with the choke and engage in some light hoonage...
Beautiful weather, great car to drive.
Impressions...the engine is freaking awesome! Yeah, it only has about 100hp at the wheels, but the car only weighs 2,500 lbs. Throttle response is great. Nice tip in, good power all the way up to 4500 (as high as I took it. Redline is 5,500 but this is a customer car after all). Don't let anybody tell you SU carbs suck and you need to do a Weber carb conversion. They work fine. Car handled great for 1960 and you could feel the car switch from pushing to neutral with throttle mid corner. Once I got used to the clutch and banged out some crisp upshifts, the car really came alive. The car made even mild hoonage extremely satisfying.
However...I always get out of big antique sports cars with renewed awe for the gentleman racers of years past. The guys who drove these cars at the limit back in the 60's were BAD men my friends. You had to have nerves of steel to take a beast like this to its limits. The brakes, the steering, the tires...you don't steer the car as much as you point it in a general direction.
Funniest part was getting back in my DD. "Is the engine even running?"
Party-vi
> Trevor Slattery, ACTOR
10/06/2014 at 16:49 |
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Spotty paint and panel fit issues - yep, it's British :3
djmt1
> Trevor Slattery, ACTOR
10/06/2014 at 16:51 |
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Hooning old British sports cars is practically a tradition here in Blighty.
but then again I bet somewhere in England there is someone saying you should never drag race old muscle cars. I guess parts being an ocean away would be annoying. Also I really like the two tone paint.
4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30
> Trevor Slattery, ACTOR
10/06/2014 at 16:51 |
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Looks in remarkable condition. Did the gearbox liven up as you got through it?
Edit: Did it also go; 'PAAAAAARRRRPPP! GA DUNK DUNK PAAAAAAAAAARRRRRP!'
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Trevor Slattery, ACTOR
> Party-vi
10/06/2014 at 16:54 |
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The door wasn't fully closed on the handle pic. And while the paint is in need of a detailing, the body is about 90%. In great nick for a 1960 big Healey. Would easily fetch $50k+
McMike
> Trevor Slattery, ACTOR
10/06/2014 at 16:56 |
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Not a lot of nice roads in Merrifield, but it was a beautiful day today.
Goshen, formerly Darkcode
> Trevor Slattery, ACTOR
10/06/2014 at 16:56 |
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If you don't thrash that, you don't deserve to own that.
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Goshen, formerly Darkcode
> djmt1
10/06/2014 at 16:57 |
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you should never drag race old muscle cars
Then what am I supposed to do with them? Hang them on my wall?
JGrabowMSt
> Trevor Slattery, ACTOR
10/06/2014 at 17:03 |
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A good friend of mine has a 3000mk3 replica with a 302 stuffed into it.
Hoonage occurs regularly.
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Trevor Slattery, ACTOR
> djmt1
10/06/2014 at 17:04 |
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One of the mechanics, now retired, builds race prepped Morgans. You all will see more of this later...
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Trevor Slattery, ACTOR
> Goshen, formerly Darkcode
10/06/2014 at 17:09 |
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I have to disagree with you there. This is not the tool for thrashing. This is an early model, I don't even think it has vacuum assisted brakes. Sure didn't feel like it. If you want to thrash a big Healey, you have to build one for thrashing. It would be like thrashing a Series I XKE. You either have a race car, a driver, or a show car. Pick any two.
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Trevor Slattery, ACTOR
> JGrabowMSt
10/06/2014 at 17:09 |
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Check out the Morgan pics I uploaded!
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Trevor Slattery, ACTOR
> McMike
10/06/2014 at 17:11 |
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I was going to head out to Rt 66 but with the possibility of the engine dying...I did not want to stray far.
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Trevor Slattery, ACTOR
> 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30
10/06/2014 at 17:12 |
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The gearbox itself felt ok, usual kinda worm synchros not withstanding. But the linkage was just no bueno.
desertdog5051
> Trevor Slattery, ACTOR
10/06/2014 at 17:12 |
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Great car. Great write up. I have a 78 MGB and, like most British sports cars, the windshield frame leaks water when it rains (Does not happen much here) or wash it. You just have to learn to peel the carpet back and let it dry. I have one of the few floor pans that have never seen rust.
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Trevor Slattery, ACTOR
> desertdog5051
10/06/2014 at 17:14 |
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We are doing a clutch job for a rubber bumper MGB with overdrive now. Have to pull the engine/gearbox from the car to get to the clutch. $$$$
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djmt1
> Goshen, formerly Darkcode
10/06/2014 at 17:38 |
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Sure as this:
is not as impressive as this:
that said how exactly you hang a muscle car from a wall is not something I know.
SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O)
> djmt1
10/06/2014 at 18:31 |
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Saves your paint too. They just peel off when you're done!
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djmt1
> SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O)
10/06/2014 at 18:33 |
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Seeing how much space that Mini takes up you're gonna need a mansion for Charger.