Good eye. Yes, the model 75 had the 1600 MGA, with two SU's, marinized
of course, and rebadged as an "Austin Healey 75" engine, even down to
the valve cover plate. The earlier model 55 boats started with the MGA
1500 block, added a single Zenith carb, and were rebadged the "Austin
Healey 55" engine. The serial number on my model 55 boat's engine has
"DH" embedded in it. I don't know if that is significant or not. I
have seen boats with and wihout an angled manifold which would keep the
carb level as the engine is inclined downward in the rear.
Performance-wise it doesn't seem to matter. The gearboxes on the 55's
were a Morris Navigator box, but the housing was reworked and has the
word "Healey" cast into the top of it. These boxes almost always
"creeped" forward in neutral, but having adapted driving technique to
that, its not a real problem. The model 75's had a Borg Warner
VelvetDrive box, which is a step forward. The weak point on the engines
was the cast iron exhaust manifold, which provides the end of the water
jacket sytem and extracts the lake cooling water through the exhaust
pipe. If these boats were used in salt water, these manifolds tend to
be found in bad shape today. Fortunately there is a man in UK who makes
reproductions. Not cheap, but correct.
Greg Lemon wrote:
>John, that is a really nice boat, I have never seen detailed pictures of the
>Healey boats, is the 1600 engine an MGA lump? sort of looks like it.
>
>Greg Lemon
>54 BN1
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