1964 Austin Healey 3000 BJ8 in Georgia. Low Mileage, Solid, Ready to Drive Nice!

1964 Austin Healey HBJ8L28763

I am listing this well documented BJ8 on behalf of a client. The car was brought to Speedwell, after a very long period of sleep in our client’s basement, with the goal of getting the car into excellent driving condition so that it may be sold. Following, you will find the story of this very nice example of Austin Healey’s venerable BJ, a list of recent work performed and a description of its current overall condition.

We will be using a substantive file of records on the car, along with information gleaned from interviewing our client and details of our own work, to paint as clear a picture of the car’s history and current condition as possible. In this auction you will find a links to two YouTube videos. If you open these videos on the YouTube page, you will find a link in the video’s description to many more pictures of this car (Ebay only allows us 24). The car has a clear Georgia title, is currently registered and ready to deliver.

The records for this car begin with its British Motor Industry Heritage Certificate, which indicates that the car’s numbers all match (The engine, gearbox and rear axle are all original to the car). The Heritage Certificate also indicates the car was built 28-31 August, 1964 and dispatched to the Austin Healey dealer in Kenosha Wisconsin 9 October of the same year.

The next record we have is a simple parts receipt dated 1 November, 1975 in the name of a gentleman residing in Fairfax, Virginia. From there we have nineteen similar receipts that show the car in this gentleman’s care until 21 March, 1977.

In April of 1977 the car was purchased by its current owner who resided in Takoma Park, Maryland at the time. He believes the gentleman from Fairfax was the second owner of the car. In August of 1979, the owner’s brother went into partnership on the car with the owner and trailered the car from Maryland to his home in Tacoma Washington.

Once in Tacoma, the car’s restoration began. The body was chemically stripped professionally, any sheet metal that needed replacing was replaced and the car was professionally painted. Re-assembly was taken on by the owner’s brother who then worked on it through August of 1985. He got it about 90% done when work halted. The owner’s brother had become tired of working on it and the car sat in his shop until 2000. The current owner bought his brother out of his half and had the car trailered to his home in Pennsylvania. Once in Pennsylvania, the car again sat in a garage while the owner tried to find the time to work on it. August of 2005 rolled around with nothing done other than the engine being started and run annually. The owner took a position with the University of Georgia and moved there. The Healey was loaded on a trailer and shipped south, where it took up residence in the owner’s then new basement. The intention being, again, to finish and enjoy the car one day.

The owner continued the annual ritual of getting the car started and driving it around his neighborhood to keep things loose but never really got around to any additional work towards finishing the car. Time just kind of slipped by, until now.

Due to some developments in his personal life, the owner has decided to sell his home in Athens and, given that he obviously wasn’t going to ever have time to enjoy the car, sell the Austin Healey in the hopes it will go to a good home and find someone who will drive and enjoy it.

To that end, he brought the car to Speedwell for finishing and to make it road ready. In the pictures link from the YouTube description, you will find copies of the invoices outlining the work we have completed. The work we have done was extensive. While there are a few niggling things that could still be done to the car (like re-chroming the grill, etc.), it is ready for the road and can be driven anywhere quite reliably. Below are some of the highlights of the work we have done:

Changed all fluids, evaluated engine and got running.

Flushed brake and clutch hydraulics for evaluation.

Adjusted the valves and replaced valve cover gasket.

Drained fuel tank and added fresh non-ethanol fuel.

Replaced all brake hydraulic parts including brake booster, brake master cylinder, brake calipers, wheel cylinders, all hoses.

Install new premium battery.

Installed new Vredstein H-rated radial tires in the original size, including new tubes and flaps.

Front alignment

Clean and lubricate door window tracks, latches and regulators. Installed interior door panels.

Installed new dash pad.

Installed new shift boot

Detail trunk area and install all spare tire hold down hardware.

Rebuild carburetors using new diaphragm/jet assemblies.

New complete stainless steel exhaust system.

Change oil again once we had accumulated some miles.

Installed new oil pressure/engine temperature gauge.

Massive tidy up from its years of sitting.

Current description:

Exterior- The car is refinished in its original Colorado Red and presents quite well considering the age of the job (35 or so years). The car has the usual chips from sitting still all those years while other things were moved around it in the various garages in which it lived. The trunk lid had the most chips and might benefit from being refinished, it would just depend on how the new owner wishes to use the car (Please see pics- including the large number of them accessible through the YouTube link). The convertible top is in good condition, though it does have two small tears on the driver’s side as seen in the pictures. The rear window is nice and clear.

Interior- Very nice older restoration. It presents quite nicely with just the right amount of patina and none of the overbearing glare of some of today’s new looking, over restored cars.

Body- A perfect example of the normal body gaps inherent in Austin Healeys but no glaring issues. Doors close tightly and easily and the car exhibits no rattles. The frame, super structure and panels are rust free save a tiny bit under the very rear of the trunk floor visible in the pictures.

Mechanicals- The suspension and steering show little use since restored and remain tight. As you can see in the additional pictures, the hub splines are in very good condition too. The brakes, as you have read previously, have been completely gone through. The engine oil pressure reads 45 hot at idle and 65 at speed. The engine does not smoke, nor does it have excessive leaks. The gearbox and differential work as designed with no flaws.

Electrical- The wiring harness is complete and unmolested. All lighting works properly, as do the wipers and gauges. The tachometer does read high and will need to be sent to Nisonger in New York for a rebuild. Also, the direction signals don't work nor does the heater blower. We have narrowed the signals down to the trafficator, which will need to be sent to Curt Arndt in Carlsbad, CA for a rebuild. The blower motor itself works perfectly and we have traced the issue to the dash switch (Time has not allowed us to handle these three things).

Driving impression- The car starts immediately with a pull on the choke and a twist of the key. As you push the choke back in, the engine settles in to a cadenced idle. Gear changes are effortless and the clutch pedal engages at just right distance from the floor. The gearbox exhibits no unusual noises and the overdrive engages/dis-engages perfectly. As the car is driven through its gears the sound of the engine is delightful, with just the right combination civility and beastliness. The new stainless steel exhaust system was VERY well tuned for these cars. The steering is tight and confidence inspiring. The new Vredstein tires roll true and smooth and exhibit no shaking, all up to our top test speed (80 mph). The H-rating of these tires assure much better steering response than the type of tires that originally came on these cars. The brakes haul the car down from speed with evenly and with ease.

Click here to see a video of this Austin Healey being driven:

Austin Healey 3000 - YouTube

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We would consider the car a very straight, solid, low mileage driver with a major edge in reliability. I would not hesitate to get in this car and head out on a 1000 mile journey. There are those few things that the lucky winning bidder will want to address in his own time, but none of these things would prevent someone from enjoying this car right now.

Click here to watch a video of the engine idling in the shop:

Engine running vid, Austin Healey 3000 - YouTube

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Please do not hesitate to email with any questions you may have. The car is available for inspection and test drive here at our shop in Watkinsville, Georgia. There will be a $1000. deposit due within 48 hours of auction end. Vehicle must be paid for in entirety within seven days of auction end. Vehicle needs to be collected within 2 weeks of auction end.

International buyers- The car is currently registered and tagged. All necessary paperwork is current and with the car. For an extra fee we can provide deliver by insured trailer to the following ports: Port Charleston in South Carolina, Ports Savannah or Brunswick in Georgia or Port Jacksonville in Florida. Please conclude all your shipping homework prior to auction end.

The lucky winning bidder will find Speedwell very communicative and available. Thanks for looking!