Hacker Craft

An advertising company called us last week asking if we had a car that would be appropriate for a photo shoot in the Adirondacks for a major fashion company. We sent them photos of cars that we felt would be appropriate and they chose one of my favorites, the black and gray 1959 Austin Healey 3000 that is in excellent original condition and sits on pressed steel wheels rather than the typical wire wheels.

I was hired to bring the car to the Lake Placid Lodge in the Adirondacks and spend the morning helping to maneuver the car into position for photographs. There was no way anyone could have prepared me for scene I was about to experience. Not only was watching the intricate details of the photo shoot mind boggling, the Lake Placid Lodge was one of the most intricately detailed pieces of property I have ever seen. There were thick wooden layers after rich leather layers followed by curly birch bark layers of intricacies and rustic luxury.

It has been such a hot and humid summer here in the northeast but on this particular morning it was 48 degrees and overcast only to heighten magical experience of the experience.      http://www.lakeplacidlodge.com/

Breaking its back

Earlier this summer we had five (!) Austin Healey 3000’s in for service needing tons of small details addressed. Thankfully, nearly all the replacement parts are available for these cars and arrive the day after you order them through Victoria British, Moss Motors and my friend Mike Bounanduci in Vermont. Mike has some amazing new old stock stuff and has pulled a rabbit out of his hat on finding  odd parts for me on many occations. People complain that the reproduction parts are of low quality but i don’t care… the original parts were terrible as well and when you pay $15 for a complete gasket set for an overdrive unit or $9 for a thermostat housing, who cares if they aren’t perfect. We have had difficulty with repro brake and clutch hydraulics but when you pay $30 for a cylinder that has a 50% success rate, it beats the $250 clutch cylinder for a Ferrari with a 30% success rate!!!

Here is one reproduction item for the Healey that I don’t like. The rear leaf springs are too stiff and make the car ride high in the rear. A Healey with original springs has a nice ride but these replacements make the car feel like a empty boat trailer, in fact, maybe these are trailer springs that happen to fit the Healey.

Anyhow, after removing 2 leafs per spring pack, the car still rode high in the rear so here is how a redneck like me re-arches the springs to get the correct ride height and to get the LR on this car to be at the same height as the RR.

We’ve just listed a very original Healey on eBay in an auction format running seven days, but it doesn’t start until tonight. Check it out around 9:30 EST at http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320554848023 or preview the pics below.

As spring weather flirts with us, the shop flirts right back. Currently, not including open top race cars, we have five roadsters in progress (4 Healey, 1 Morgan), each one’s mecca being fun in the sun.

Austin Healey, Ferrari 308, a Morgan, and two more Healeys all the way in the back, and one out of view to the left.

Cream Austin Healey 3000 Mk III with B.A.R.C. badge

Hey Pig. Yellow, Cream, Green, and Silver all on tap

Before we delivered this Austin Healey 3000 to its new home, the purchaser wanted to make the car his by having us paint the “coves” ivory. I thought it was a great idea and Syl did an amazing job with the paint. The car was very nicely detailed to start with and with this color contrast, the car looks great.

Syl has been using a new clear coat that needs next to no wet sanding and polishing. The clear is so crystal perfect and it lays down with no orange peel. He just shot some Ferrari Boxer wheels and they are perfect! Loving that RM paint!

Healey Blue 3000

Healey Blue with Ivory Coves