Austin Healey 100 User Manual

Restoration Methods

One Approach to

Restoring

an

Installment
One:

Look
Before
You
Leap

Austin-Healey

by Roger Moment
with Gary Anderson

M

actively involved themselves, and if they have the aptitude and
endurance for the long haul this is a very good approach. At the
least they learn much about how a car is constructed, its physical
and mechanical characteristics, and what to be aware of in terms
of potential on-road failure and approaches to fixing problems.

restoration project with all the best of hopes and intentions, only
to founder midway through the project, leaving another basket
case to be cleaned out of another garage, and a big gap in another
bank account. It has been our experience that the failures could
have been anticipated even before the project was initiated, if
the enthusiasm had been tempered with a little information and
some careful planning.

problems. They were built in an era before computers, when
assembly (and in some cases panel fabrication) was by hand, and
most of the pieces are readily accessible. Furthermore, though
the last big Healey rolled off the Abingdon line in 1967, and
dealer stock is long gone, there are many suppliers of parts and

18 Austin-Healey magaz ine –

ajor car restoration is a serious project, not to be
undertaken by the faint of heart or impatient.
Nevertheless, many enthusiasts decide to become

On the other hand, probably more enthusiasts undertake a

Austin-Healeys pose few difficult or tchnical restoration

February-March 2006

manufacturers of replacement items so
that you can find almost everything you
need.

So what’s the difference between a
successful, satisfying restoration and a
disappointing failure? In this continuing
series of articles, Gary and I will walk
you through the restoration process from
the beginning, when you first consider
undertaking a restoration yourself, to
the very end when you road-test your
completed car.

At the very least, we hope the articles
will help you understand what goes into a
restoration so you can make an educated
decision about undertaking it. Of course,
we also hope that at least one or two of
the Healey enthusiasts who read this series
will undertake their own restoration and
complete it successfully.

Over the 36 years that I have been
working on Healeys (initially as a hobby,

later as an avocation, and finally, in semi-retirement, as a part-time
vocation) with perhaps 20 completed cars to my credit, I have made
my full share of mistakes and learned various tricks for doing tasks
not only better but safer and more efficiently. It is this experience
that I am drawing on in offering the following advice

.

Why Do It Yourself?

When you consider undertaking a restoration yourself, rather
than “farming” it out to a restoration shop, or just searching for a
finished Healey to buy, there are a number of factors you should
take into account.

First, it takes a lot of time to do a complete “frame-up” restoration.
A professional shop will require at least 1000 hours for disassembly,
restoration of components, painting, and reassembly, if the shop
has extensive experience doing complete Healey restorations,
excellent skills and equipment, and the knowledge of how to do
the details correctly. There are only a few shops I know of that I
would put into this category. About 2000 hours will be required
for someone who has a very good aptitude and skills for the various
work required, and is trying to do a high quality job, but lacks first­hand experience on Healeys. Shop labor can run from $50 per hour
to $90 per hour depending on where you live.

Second, farmed-out services requiring special equipment that
an individual doesn’t have or can’t justify purchasing, and replace­ments for parts that can’t be refurbished or reconditioned, can
easily cost $20,000 or more. Specialized service tasks include en­gine machining and balancing, TIG welding, major frame repair,
painting, plating (chrome and zinc/cadmium), powder-coating,
upholstering of the seats, and sewing of heavy materials such as
carpet. And as just one example of parts costs, paint materials
alone can run $1500 to $2000 for the self-etching primer, surfac­er primer, sealer, color paint (including clear coat, if used) filler,
sand paper, and polishing compounds. Add the cost of the car
and you can do the arithmetic to calculate what a “check-book”
restoration will actually cost.

Starting with this issue, we’ll be presenting a continuing series
of articles that is intended as a general guide to doing a full
frame-up restoration on an Austin-Healey. At the end of this
series, we plan to publish the entire series of articles in book
form. Though the articles will be geared to the restorer, we
expect to include many tips that will be useful to any Healey
owner doing extensive repair work on his or her car.

Third, a meticulously correct restoration will take even more
time. Rounding up original bits, and learning how something
was done originally in order to get it exactly right, will drive time
(and costs) way up. If you are a perfectionist, no matter what
else you outsource, you will personally have to do a lot of leg
work, since there is no way you can pay a shop enough to get
everything exactly right. This will not only save you money, but
also result in a higher degree of accuracy in the results. If you
want something more than a professional restoration that’s just
reasonably accurate, you’re going to be involved anyway, so you
might as well think about how much you can do on your own.

On the other hand, an amateur with no previous restoration
experience but with basic mechanical skills and aptitude, even
someone who has never undertaken a project of this magnitude, if
possessing (or possessed by!) the determination to learn and do it
themselves, can do much of the work that a shop would otherwise
do, including disassembly, parts cleaning and reconditioning,
and reassembly. You will certainly spend more time on these
tasks than an experienced restoration shop would take, but
managing the project yourself and doing as much work as you
can do on your own, spreading out the out-of-pocket expenses
over a longer time as you proceed may be more manageable than
paying a restoration shop in large advance-payment chunks.

In addition, there are many potential intangible benefits to
doing your own restoration that take the project out of the realm
of pure dollars and cents and return on investment. For example,
for those with teen-age kids, a restoration project can be a great
shared experience, teaching a variety of skills, developing planning

Austin-Healey mag azin e –

What leap to faith is
required to believe
that from the rusty
metal and old parts
of a forgotten Healey
a pristine and
functional show car
can be created? These
pictures were taken
before a much younger
Roger Moment, right,
with his son Ben,
left, and Healey
enthusiast Don Voake
undertook restoration
of his 3000. The
car went on to win
Gold in Concours,
cover thousands of
enjoyable miles on the
highway, and then be
sold on to a collector
who proudly owns and
uses it to this day.

February-March 2006

19

A restoration easily
uses up all the space
of a two-car garage.
There are tools to be
installed, parts to keep
track of, and then, of
course, there’s the car
to think of. The working
area of Roger Moment’s
garage is pictured here,
an extra-deep space
that isn’t generous,
by any means, but by
careful use of shelves
and storage bins, he
minimizes overflow
out of “his” area of the
garage.

and organizational abilities, and learning that “life” doesn’t go all
the perfectly and patience is a necessary virtue.

And, as they say, the pride of having done much of the work
yourself is “priceless,” and in the process you will come to know
a Healey as few other owners really do. This alone will give you
peace of mind when you encounter unexpected problems (and
are there any other types?) with your car down the road.

Ask yourself one question: Are you interested in having the
experience of a restoration, or do you simply want a restored car?
If it’s the latter, stop reading now and start saving your pennies
to buy one that’s completed or pay a shop to restore one for you.
If it’s the former, then read on and see if you’re still convinced
after you’ve finished. Just keep in mind that an uncompleted car is
worth pennies on the invested dollar to a potential buyer, and you
will pass the point of no return about one week into the project.

But Wait...There’s More?

Even if you have decided that you can
undertake a restoration if you do much of
the work yourself, what else should you
consider? Before you make your decision,
ask yourself (and significant others in your
household) if you have enough space to do a
proper restoration. Here, we’ll assume that
you plan to take the car apart at home and
farm out component repair as necessary.

You’ll need to be able to work around
a car with its doors open on both sides.
Adequate clearance allows you to move
parts and tools around, and also provides
a buffer so that you don’t have stuff in the
garage inadvertently fall against the car
causing body and/or paint damage. I’ve
seen and read of restorations that took
place in small one-car garages, but suspect
that much work was done actually outside
this space, with the car being rolled in and
out as needed. Personally, I think you
need as a minimum a full two-car garage
during the entire period of the project.
This will provide room for the car, a
buffer around it, access for large tools such
as engine hoists, a place for larger tools
such as air compressor, drill press, bead
blasting box, jacks, storage shelves, and
workbenches (yes, you’ll likely want/need
more than one). And don’t forget that
to hoist an engine in and out of a chassis
you need room above for the beam of the
hoist to clear.

Remember that we’re estimating you’ll
spend over 2,000 hours, which means that
most or all of the family’s garage is going to
be taken up with your project for two years
or more. And for some part of that time,
that space is going to be fairly messy and
often dirty. Before you consider anything
else, is that a feasible commitment, and is
the entire household comfortable with it?

W

hen you do disassemble the car there
will be many large and heavy items that you
will want to store out of the way. Wings
(fenders), boot and bonnet (trunk and
hood) lids, doors, seats, rear axle, engine,
gearbox/drive train, wheels, windshield,
and hood (top) assembly all come to mind.
That means you’ll also be intruding into
other parts of the house during at least
part of the project. All but the heaviest
items could go into a basement. or a well­supported storage space above the work
area, but it is advisable to have them out of
the main work area unless they are being
worked on.

Then you need to think about

20 Austin-Healey maga zine –

February-March 2006

Another view of Roger’s garage, with his BN1, which he recently finished restoring for the third time. One interesting point to note here
is that Roger’s primary workbench isn’t stuck against the wall, but is free-standing so he can easily work on all sides of it, and have
space to hang awkward pieces off any of the edges. Like the cooking island in a modern kitchen, this is an excellent arrangement if you
can manage the space for it. Tucked up on shelves, and ready to hand, he has all his small parts boxes. Larger parts and components
such as body panels and drive train components were stored out of the way during the restoration when they weren’t being worked on.

equipping the garage so you can work efficiently. One, and
preferably two work benches will be needed. These can be
constructed with a used, flat, 36-inch-wide solid core door
with a solid support structure using 2x4 lumber. One central
workbench about 36 inches high and preferably with working
space around at least three sides will be essential. A work surface
in a separate area will be very useful for many jobs so you can
keep the dirty tasks separate from the ones requiring cleanliness
when both are being done in parallel.

Sturdy, conveniently accessible shelving for storage, at least 12
inches deep, will be useful and will make a big difference in keeping
your work area and inventory neat and organized. You can expect to
require at least four sets of shelves, each four feet long and six feet
high. Shelving needs to be good quality and heavy-duty, because
auto components can be quite heavy. A shelf system that allows you
to buy additional shelves is also important. “Gorilla”-style shelves
from a home supply store is a good choice for this purpose

.

Basic plumbing in the garage is important. There will be a
lot of dirt created, especially during disassembly and body repair.
Consider how you will clean up your work space – and you – at
the end of each session. A deep sink in the garage will be highly
desirable.

Lighting will be critical, since even daylight won’t reach into
deep nooks and crannies and much of your work will be done
after nightfall in your available spare time. Flourescent lights
at six-foot intervals – installed in the ceiling, or purchased as

hanging units with extension cords for power – are excellent.
These can be supplemented by portable lighting as needed.

Having a good set of electrical outlets will also make
your work more efficient and safe. If you expect to do much
compressed air work, a 220 volt circuit will help, though two or
more 110 household circuits will be adequate for most work. In
this same category, a telephone with a remote handset is equally
critical, though a cell phone is probably an acceptable substitute.
Ordering parts, asking questions, and perhaps even calling for
help, are better done if you don’t have to go into the house to
make your phone calls.

Soooo?

So you’ve considered carefully and you have the motivation,
and desire to undertake a restoration. But don’t underestimate
the impact this project is going to have on family peace and
harmony, which is equally critical to the project. Is your family
comfortable with the idea that they will be parking cars, bikes,
and lawn equipment somewhere else for two years, and that most
of your own spare time is going to be spent in the garage?

If the answers are all positive, is it time to grab a wrench
and start taking the fenders off? No, not quite yet. There’s still
the matter of planning the project, acquiring some additional
workshop equipment, making sure you’ve got the basic tools,
and developing an overview of the entire process from beginning
to end. We’ll take up those topics in our next installment.

Austin-Healey mag azin e –

February-March 2006

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