1960 AUSTIN HEALEY 3000 MK1

PSD 736 is an original right-hand drive home market Healey 3000 supplied new by Dick Bros Limited of Kilmarnock and has remained in the UK throughout its life.

After several owners it was used in sprints and hill-climbs (as well as everyday transport) including the ‘Rest and be Thankful'.

In late 2007 the car was subject to a substantial restoration involving a new chassis and the inner body tub professionally restored by the Northern Healey Centre. The body has an aluminium bonnet and boot lid – the former louvered, side vents, flared arches and Works-style cut-away front wings. It has a rollover bar, a Works-style hardtop and a hood.

The engine has been completely rebuilt and is currently producing around 190 bhp. It has forged +60 thou pistons, lightened flywheel and a fully balanced bottom end. It has an alloy ‘works' cylinder head, a DWR 1 camshaft with vernier pulley, triple HD 6 SU carburetors on a DWR manifold, electronic ignition and an extractor exhaust manifold with side-exit system. There is a high torque starter motor and an alternator conversion.

The engine is connected to a Toyota Supra five-speed manual gearbox which transmits to the wheels via a 3. 54 differential ratio. The engine is very smooth, has oodles of grunt and sounds fabulous. The five-speed box has a lovely change and enables you to get the best out of the engine and with its fifth gear and tall diff ratio allows easy high-speed cruising.

In line with its performance, the suspension and brakes have been uprated. The steering has been converted to rack and pinion for greater precision offset trunnion bushes, roller bearing trunnions, uprated anti-roll bar telescopic dampers and DWR springs at the rear. The rear brakes are standard whereas the fronts have been changed to four-piston Wilwood calipers with braided hoses. The wheels are ‘knock-on' aluminium Minilite style. The interior features Paddy Hopkirk rally seats and a Moto Lita steering wheel as part of an older re-trim in contrasting dark blue vinyl.

The car has a superb history file including the original buff logbook and heritage certificate. Often upgrades on a car such as this can detract from the driving experience by being too extreme, too track inspired to make road driving pleasurable. This Healey is quite the opposite. Years of fine tuning and development has resulted in a car that is a superb road car that handles, rides, steers, stops and of course, goes fabulously.

I've owned the car for the last 7 years, the previous owner owned it for 28 years. It's a lovey reliable Healey (I've put a new exhaust on, changed a suspension bush and replaced a fuel pipe during my 7 years of ownership)

I've also got the original cylinder head and a custom fitted car cover.

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