1960 Austin Healey - Pro-Tour?
 

With all the threads about Stielow's Solstice and the Eco-tech Chevette I've been wondering "what could I do with that old Bugeye'd Sprite I've had in storage for 25 years?"

I bought the car at 15 from a local guy as a father & son project that a change to 2nd shift prevented from happening... it's still setting there waiting. Most of the parts to restore it are there... many still in the packaging that they came from. Obviously after all these years of just setting in pieces everything will need to be gone through mechanically... so I've been thinking... would it be easier to ditch the stock suspension and the anemic green Austin 4-cylinder in favor of something more modern?

Keeping it simple and as budget minded as possible, what would you do?

V/R,
Ty

the healey frame isnt that stiff.... and the suspesnion isnt that modern... dependung on your budget... but id' stuff a different frame under there

i saw a picture of a healey in an old magazine that had the daytona fenderflares and an SBC.. and it was the coolest thing ever.... totally AC cobra with austin genes....

What is the car worth restored?

I'm helping my friend rebuild a 61 3000. It was his dad's car from the 60's. I guess his old man used to road race it to. We're going with a carb'd 302 Ferd and a T5 trans. Probably going to use a narrowed 8.8 with some kind of 4 link. We kind of thought min-tubs should work since he isn't going to keep the back seat. I have found a few pictures around the healy fourms that show some creative suspensions.
There will be some kind of upper and lower A arms on this one when we get done.

Bugeye's
 

There are 4 on eBay right now with bidding between $6000-8500.
I've been thinking that a full frame would be easy to fab with dual tubular A-arms with coil overs up front and a simple 4 link out back. I was thinking Buick V6 Turbo or one of the newer 4-6 cylinders. Stock the cars only weighed about 1300lbs! A like the mini-AC Cobra idea. I remember seeing a Hot Rod article on one with a tradition SBC when I was a kid too...

If mine were a 3000 I'd be going the resto route! If I'd only known then...
My wife loves the black one that Steve Martin drives in Father of the Bride 2!

Doesn't sound like they are bringing much money...I say PT the hell out of it!!

Btw , i think Healeys are really really cool car. Last we were on holiday in Lake como italy. And in the same hotel was one guy with pure pro-touring austin healey. It had racing stripes,numbers, roll gage , all the safety stuff etc etc . Next morning i saw him checking the oil of the 3000cc inline six. I went to talk with him and he told he was from neatherlands and had bee touring with hes wife from big austin healey rally thru germany and france. Then to italy and now heading back home!!! Engine had lots of hipo parts and sounded really nice. He told me its a blast to drive curvy roads over the alps. Isnt that a pro touring car or not !! I have to check do i found the picture of the car.

I think bugeyes are awesome! I've always wanted one and will own one someday.

It would be sweet to see Ben, Carter etc... do a kickbutt rendering!

I almost bought one about 15 years ago. The car was orange flake with some flares.....lol....General Lee type wheels....had too much rust.

I say go for it AND take plenty of pics!

Here you go , a real "pro-touring" healey. I bet its driven more and harder than many of our cars here;)


Owner of the car and hes wife is in the pic too. See the unreal wiev in parking place..!!! And it just got better on patio with cold beer:thumbsup:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...i/DSC08392.jpg

Some progress; the guy is doing this in a small 1 car garage.

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...y/S4020442.jpg

http://www.mustangmods.com/ims/u/1429/2153/224656.jpg


http://www.mustangmods.com/ims/u/1429/2153/224657.jpg

A couple years ago at Hot August Nights in Reno was a killer bug eye sprite with a EFI Hemi engine shoe horned in it. Looked like it belonged there.

I'd cut it in half and do a custom chassis with C6 everything and a LS3 or 7 powerplant - but it's a sickness I have ....

:lol:

It's difficult to make the decision to restore or modify one. IMO - if it's not a special version of the car (limited number, limited edition, special drivetrain or something - or a celeb car of some note) and they don't appear to be in high demand - or are in bad shape where restoring one is not feasible - you can mod it.

https://lateral-g.net/forums/showthread.php4?t=5109

Aluminum Rover V8 that Buick sold them would drop in and are in just about every new Land Rover.

I think there is a site somewhere with someone doing a rear drive SHO engine conversion or it might even be done.

It is after all partly your fault anyway... after seeing your build I got to thinking about "that old Bugeye that's been setting for 25 years..." (c:]

There is a site that showcases Rover/Buick V8 conversions, LSx conversions, SHO conversions on British sprts cars. I'd love to do a LSx Healey or TR6

www.BritishV8.org

Ls1/t56
 

Thanks for the link! I knew someone had already figured all this out.
I've been thinking that if I can move it back a few inches (6-8) an LS1 might be light enough to give me near 50/50 weight distribution. But I also like the aluminum Rover V8 idea... many have also suggested using Datsun 210 stuff.
Initially I want to get it on the road on a budget and work out all the bugs (no pun intended)... and I've been thinking that since it was originally white with a red interior that I might change it up just a little with a flat black rat rod-ish exterior, stock red interior, red stock steal wheels with whitewalls and the stock crome dog dish center caps. I could even put the Big Daddy Roth "It's Only A Sprite" decals on the front fenders! What do you think?

Oh sure, just blame it on the dumb Porsche guy ... :lol:

Thx BBShark for that link - I checked that web site. Some very nice cross-breeds there with some pretty slick solutions to the space/packaging/fabrication problems.

You gotta LS that baby ! :thumbsup:

PS, something like this with PT Forgelines and big brakes would sure turn some heads !

http://www.britishv8.org/MG/DonAllen.htm

Go for it! A LSX would be a killer machine. Good luck! :D

Yeah, the space/packaging/fabrication solutions shown there are very clever and, the vast majority, are very well done. Incredible considering that these are hobbyists doing "garage" builds.

Ls1
 

Now I just have to find one of those LS1 for $250 deals!

That's got the right look! I just gotta find something like that in a Sprite/Bugeye wrapper!

Hah !

Top 10 reasons to bastardize a perfectly good car.

http://www.britishv8.org/Articles/top10.htm

frankenstang and I are doing a 1960 Austin Healey, like he said probably going with a carbd 302 or a entire mustang drivetrain for that matter.
I thought you all might like to see these, there are some great fabrication skills in these rides, I expect mine to be no different with frankenstang helping me out.
http://www.ntahc.org/modifiedhealeys/

THAT'S the site I was looking for.

Hey Chris? How do you like it over here? You like have to be nice and polite unlike the other sites we visit!

Simple Packaging
 

To keep it simple I've been looking at smaller options for packaging like the Ford 2.3 turbo....can be made very nasty for cheap....300+hp is not hard at all, plus they seem to last.... aftermarket fuel injection unit (BS3, megasquirt) and it'll haul.... what do you think?
Power to weight it wouldn't take much to make it a lot of fun!
Stock it only had a 40hp 948cc 4-banger... I'm thinking 200-250hp would be great. At 200hp & 1500lbs it could be quicker than a new C6 Corvette which runs 12.4s... at 250hp it could be quicker than a new Z06! In theory anyway, it'll be impossible to get it to hook! (c:]

I have seen this car in person and it is very well done and very fast. Last time I talked to him he was at 330HP:wow: 2.3L turbo TR6:

http://www.britishv8.org/Triumph/DaleKnapke.htm

There are some awesome rides on this site, I am always nice:lol: I am just here to admire the work people have done to these cars, great site and worksmanship everyone!

I myself am a power freak, I also thought of doing a 2.3T but I dont think 300hp is going to satisfy me. frankenstang is going to have to talk me out of taking the Vortech supercharger off my mustang and putting it on my Healey.
If my mustang feels fast with 365+rwhp at 3100lbs I would love to feel the 2200lb Austin Healey with the same powerplant, frankenstang, lets DO IT!!:rofl:

I'm thinking a twin dominator tunnel rammed HEMI!! It's only money. Jeff said the Mustang II front end should work for you. We can cut the front crossmember to narrow it. Check Speedwayengineering for prices. You know what Jeff says is gospel to me!:bow:

If I sell the Mustang and the Monte Carlo then we can talk HEMI!!! For now though I am waiting for that money tree in the back yard to sprout.
I checked speedway engineering and dont see any MII parts..