Healey Z

My car is probably a little unique from others here from a cooling perspective. The car: 1963 Austin Healey 3000 with an L28 with an original (over sized) Austin Healey radiator. I have had it on the road since this past Spring. The temperature sensor is located in the radiator and the sensor and the gauge are original Healey pieces. I live in Sacramento, where it is scorching hot in the summer. We will see a summer full of 100+ degree days and in the winter it gets down in the 30's in the morning, 50's during the day. This car is no garage queen, I drive the car a lot. I drove it to a "shine & show" 20 miles away this summer and it was 105 degrees that day. Going up the "mountain", it peaked around 210 degrees. I have an electric pusher fan on the front of the radiator, hooked up to a toggle switch on the dash, when driving around town in stop and go traffic. The normal temp that it would run around town would be 190. I felt the cooling system was put to the test this summer and I think good enough. Now the temperatures have dipped into the mid 30's in the morning and 50's during the day. When I replaced the motor (the car already had a Z motor), I put a new thermostat in it. It takes its time to warm up, to where it runs decent without the choke 10 minutes perhaps, but it eventually does. Even after driving for 20 minutes, I can't get the temp gauge to go past 125. How long do you guys with carb'ed motors run with the choke on? Do you think I should look for a way to increase the temp the motor runs at during this colder weather? If so, what could I do to have it run warmer in the winter, yet not impact my ability to have the motor run cool in the heat of the summer?

Hey ZRule, That is the beauty about the car hobby. There are always other cars! I come in and out of different cars and while it is always sad when I sell a car that I put so much time into, it opens another door in the future, when the time is right.

The butt dyno says that the car goes like hell and revs to 5500 too fast in either case to tell if there is a significant difference.

I like the theory (I'm an engineer too) and I know the air horns will help, but my question is to what extent. A practical approach would be to take my air horns that I have on there now off and see if the butt dyno can feel the difference. I drove the car to work and take it home at lunch, so perhaps I will do a few 2nd gear bursts going home, take the air cleaners off and do the same going back to work after filling my stomach and see if I notice a difference. I'll report back later

Here is my engine bay with it's carbed L28 as it sits today: Two issues, there are no air filters to the carbs and it has the aftermarket do-dad on the valve cover. Here is a picture of an original Austin Healey motor: I have a set of Austin Healey air cleaners heading my way; $5 ebay win Getting them to fit as is shouldn't take too much work and note the inlet for the valve cover. Getting them to fit with the stock air horns (I have an original 240Z air cleaner) will take quite a bit more work and I think I have the space to get them to fit. The car runs great right now and when I plant my foot, the car really gets up and goes. Does anyone know how much the air horns effect and what RPM range it effects the performance of the motor?

Pay as personal transfer...no fees.

yea, I swore that mine was missing too. It was there, just hard to find. One way would be to get #1 at TDC, cam lobes at 10:00 and 2:00 and then check for it right at the timing mark.

I had the rubber hose running over the carbs. All the line sold at the part stores were coated, so my flaring tool wouldn't work. I went to the local pick and pull and for $6 cut out plenty of line. I bent, flared and routing the hard line under the carbs.

What oil are you using, 20w? Have you verified your vacuum line is attached and working properly; put your light on and check to see how it advances with and without the line plugged in.

I've had a motor (Ford 289) where I had more problems than it was worth and finally just gave up on it and replaced it. You might just want to keep your eye open for a good used motor. The Z motors are very plentiful and inexpensive. They are very bullet proof motors too. I found the motor that is in my car for $300. Perfect compression, no leaks, runs like a champ.

Congrats. That is one nice looking Z. All mods done well and tasteful.

Came across this today, in my own back yard; two imported SSS cars for sale from Bring A Trailer: 1969 and 1970 Datsun SSS Bluebird Coupes This seller has two white Datsun SSS Bluebird coupes on offer out of a claimed 30 total in the USA. He links to build threads on both cars over on the Ratsun forum. Find them here on Craigslist outside Sacramento, California for $18k and $20k. http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/cto/2661917093.html

I had driven the Datsun Healey to work today and was looking forward to tinkering with it when I got home. I kissed the wife, changed my shirt, grabbed some duct tape and headed back to the garage. I popped the bonnet (us English car owners need to call it something different than a plain 'ol hood) closed the SU's all the way up, put a piece of tape on the knob and then spun them down two turns. My analog tach, circa 1980 was no better than my dash and my ear and frankly I couldn't tell if the idle was going up a tiny bit or down a tiny bit with a 1/2 turn. I decided to turn both of them 2 1/2 turns, close the bonnet and took the car for a spin. The stumble is gone, the flutter is history. Thanks to all for the advice and I'm happy with the way it is running...project complete!

Thanks for the responses. I did get a uni-syn and have the carbs well balanced at idle and 2500rpm. I'll give this a shot tonight 1. hook up my tach (analog though) 2. screw the mixture knobs all the way in, then back off two turns. 3. adjust looking for fastest idle I can say the car runs pretty darn good right now, but I get the occasional stumble/flutter and it drives me nuts. My car senses tell me it is fuel. Hopefully that will solve the problem and I won't have to open up the floats.

I've watched the video, read the posts, searched the net and I just don't think I am doing it right. With car warm and idling, I stick my finger in the SU and raise the plunger and listen to the motor. Frankly, I can turn the nob either way a time or two and it doesn't seem to change at all. Is there a better way, or what should I be doing different?

Just because I would much rather do car stuff than work, I looked at 510's for sale in CA on craigslist, where they listed a price in their ad and it looked like a whole and running car. Some interesting stuff. $25,000 Original BRE Package $10,500 SR20 swap $10,000 race $9,800 SR20 swap $7,500 SR20 swap $7,500 Limo! $7,500 VG30 swap $5,500 v8 swap $4,800 pretty stock $3,900 $3,800 $3,800 $3,500 $2,800 $2,600 $2,500 $2,400 $1,500 $1,000 $900 $900 $800 $600 With the exception of the BRE package, limo and engine swaps (where their asking is probably 1/2 of what they have into it), I'd say that $3K for a running car is about right and it may cost up to $5K for an absolute cream puff.

Great cars, I've owned a few back in the day. There is little collector value, unless you have a documented SSS car. I agree with others, a nice stock good running driver in good shape would go for $3K plus/minus $1K depending on condition and your ability to negotiate

I'm sure this isn't the look you were after...but I couldn't resist.

Slight, I have a personal rule. Never buy a car that I cannot drive. If I cannot verify a system is good, I pretty much assume there is a high probability of it being bad. There are so many systems in the car that have to work correctly in order for the car to run. Lets pick one: fuel. I throw out these numbers off the top of my head for reference, just to illustrate. If the car has been sitting and the gas tank is rusted, say $300. The fuel pump bad? $50, chances of the dual SU's being serviceable? $650 to rebuild, or spend a $200 on some used ones that may or may not give you problems still. The point is that you have a lot of other systems; drive train, brakes, cooling, electrical that can be expensive and time consuming to make operational. I would rather pay $3K for a car that I can drive (which are available in the states) than get a rusted, unknown project car for free. Best of luck, you are doing the right thing by exploring a lot of options and asking a lot of questions. Perhaps my first post which says you should go see ten of them before buying one, is a bit old school and you can visit them virtually to get an idea of what you would be getting.

You're a good dad. My girls, which are now grown, have no interest in cars what so ever and I wish I had sparked their interest earlier.

Hey Gary, I have a few more projects to do: rerouting gas line, fabricate an air cleaner. However, if I know I'm going back to this guy's shop (an hour drive away), I'll drop you a PM.

This should wrap up this post. The before and after shot. If I were doing it again, I would smooth out the two stands, but leave the bumps in the tube and fill the hole. This would give the balance tube some personality, instead of being so smooth. I guess I'm really never satisfied Next is running the gas line under the carbs in metal.

I rented a welder for $30/hour and knocked out the tube. I can't say that it was the cleanest welds in the world, but I am confident that the holes are sealed. I hope to get it on the car tomorrow.

This blue was the closest I could find in a rattle can to the Datsun blue. I really like the color on the motor, especially when you have some shiny parts next to it. Rust-oleum 248961 GM BLUE I liked it so much, I painted my vice the same color.

madkaw.....holy smokes, that is simply incredible.