Classic Car Restoration & Maintenance

Car Sales Spotlight - Austin Healey 3000 MKI 2 seater for under £40k!!!

Built in December 1959 and dispatched in January 1960, this early Austin-Healey 3000 MKI BN7 (2-seater) was originally LHD and was delivered to Los Angeles, USA. The car left the factory in an interesting and rare factory colour, pacific green. The car was later exported to Italy where it remained until around 2015 when the car was then imported to the UK.

The history file includes photos of the restoration, details about the restoration are not documented but the photos show it was extensive.

This MKI has now been converted to RHD and essentially a MKII specification with a desirable centre change gearbox and tri carb set up.

The car comes with wet weather gear and is presented in very good condition, ready to be enjoyed.

For someone looking for a 2 seat 3000, this BN7 should be included on your short list. On the road, the car is direct and precise, the engine has good torque, and the gearbox is easy to use and gear selection is good.

Contact us for more information:-

Office 01420 564343
Email Info@rawlesclassiccars.co.uk

#forsale #carsales #austinhealey #austinhealey3000 #classic #classiccars #classiccarlover #healey3000 #classicsportscar #sportscar #britishsportscar #carsofinstagram #iconiccar #bighealey #billrawlesclassiccars #drivetastefully ...

Sorry for no posts this week!

It’s super busy in both restoration and mechanical sides with a wide range of cars through the workshops. We’ll get back to providing daily updates of workshop happenings next week.

Thanks! ☺️ ...

It is nice to see this 3000 again, over a decade since we restored the car.

Can you spot a young Charlie Rawles and our much missed workshop and family dog, Alfie?

Alfie, a core team member in those days was always on hand to hoover dropped biscuits. Things have changed a bit now but still, Charlie heads up the fabrication and restoration department alongside a skilled team.

This project was an interesting one. You might ask, who would spec a primrose yellow Healey 3000 with steel wheels? Possibly the least popular colour and most basic specification but this has grown on us massively, you just don`t really see them in this spec, makes a nice change from ice blue!

But this car, was a special spec for the person who commissioned it. In the 1950`s and 1960`s the customers Father had a BMC dealership and when the customer was getting to about 19 years old, his Father couldn`t sell a particular Austin Healey, it was primrose yellow with steel wheels. So instead, he gave it to his son for his birthday. It was his first car, it was used, abused, loved and sold. It was over 50 years later, he realised he wanted that exact car again so commissioned us to build it.

We finished the car in time for the customer to drive the car just a handful of times before his untimely passing. For that reason, this car, like many others we have worked on, is particularly special to us and it is nice to see it again.
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#austinhealey #healey3000 #austinhealey3000 #austinhealey100 #healey100 #historicmotorsport #classiccarrestoration #restoration #classic #classiccar #sportscar #britishsportscar #bighealey #carsofinstagram #workshop #billrawlesclassiccars #goodwood #goodwoodrevival #motorsport #racing #rawles ...

Engine block porosity...

Here is another great example of why we complete our anti porosity kit installation on all of our engine rebuilds.

In the workshop this week, we have a 3000 that keeps contaminating it`s coolant. Understandably, the owner has replaced the obvious items, such as head gasket but this is a common issue with the Healey 3000 block, the casting can become porous where oil pressure is circulating at 40-60psi close to the waterway and the oil will push through the casting and into the water/coolant jacket.

There is only one fix for this. Using the jig-borer, we will install a stainless steel lining into the oilways prior to rebuild but the engine must be stripped down to the block in order to do this. You never know when this might happen and when building an engine, it is a great way to future proof the build.

We complete this service for customers having their engine built with us and some trade customers.
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#austinhealey #healey3000 #classiccar #classiccarrestoration #bighealey #billrawlesclassiccars ...

Running repairs for a BJ8 A post.

"It`s easy to restore a car" Well, yes, it is to a certain extent, completing a full restoration, is actually easier in many ways than repairing a car. Restoration leaves no stone unturned and if it needs to be done... cut it out and start again but when it comes to repairing a car with everything in situ, bodywork, interior etc, it is very hard to work in confined environments, managing the repair as to try not to escalate the work required to be a bigger repair than is needed and without damaging surrounding features and this is even more important when a car is as original as this one.

Charlie has been repairing this common weak point on a Healey, in the A post area. With multiple layers to repair and not much space to work in, Charlie is doing a nice job, as you would expect.

We don`t only complete full restorations, if you have a car that requires localised repairs, please get in touch as the winter time is a great opportunity for this. With the body shop in high demand, we are now booking well into the new year so it is important to think ahead and contact us for a no obligation estimate.
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#healey3000 #austinhealey #classiccarrestoration #bighealey #austinhealey100 #britishsportscar #classiccar #fabrication ...