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Re: [Healeys] Healeys

To: healeys@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: [Healeys] Healeys
From: Larry Varley <varley@cosmos.net.au>
Date: Sun, 06 Jul 2014 19:29:01 +1000
Delivered-to: mharc@autox.team.net
Delivered-to: healeys@autox.team.net
References: <53B90155.6060700@cosmos.net.au> <53B912C9.6020309@chello.nl> more information
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I agree, Kees, it took the Japanese manufacturers to step in to produce 
a decent gearbox, and while they did copy some good designs, they did 
pick the right ones to copy. Why didn't BMC roll out the alloy rally 
block into production? It would certainly have improved the 6 cylinder cars!
Cheers
Larry Varley
On 6/07/2014 7:11 PM, Oudesluys wrote:
> You just opened a can of worms, splendid.
> Although I think that the later 6-cilinder AH's looked better than the 
> BN1, I always disliked that heavy lump of cast iron under the bonnet. 
> What about a 6 in line BMW engine. Plenty of those around. I have seen 
> some very neat conversions using that engine, especially in a Jensen 
> 541S which originally had a 4 liter 6 in line Austin engine. They had 
> to fit much weaker front springs and alter the shocks but it resulted 
> in a far better road behaviour and, not unimportant, the steering 
> effort became much more manageable and pleasant.There should be a few 
> Japs as well that can supply enough 6 in line grunt. I am not sure if 
> Datsun/Nissan supplied any lightweight/aluminium 6 in line engines but 
> if so it would keep it a bit in the family as Datsun more or less 
> started life producing and developing/improving Austin products. I 
> have heard that even the early (and perhaps later) in line sixes from 
> Datsun/Nissan will match up with an Austin gearbox.
> Do not forget the lightweight Buick derived Rover V-8 which should fit 
> without to much bother and also has some relation to Austin.
> There are probably some Australian engines as well that are suitable 
> but I do not know anything of those.
> Not only did BMC self destruct, the entire UK car industry did. Only 
> some assembly from foreign cars left: e.g. Nissan and Mini (BMW) plus 
> some niche manufacturers mostly in in foreign ownership, e.g. Lotus, 
> Rolls Royce, Morgan
> Kees Oudesluijs
>
>
> Larry Varley schreef op 6-7-2014 9:57:
>> I think it's time that the list had a healthy debate, and some fun. I 
>> would propose that the only real Austin Healey was the BN1, designed 
>> by Donald Healey and Gerry Coker. Everything after that was BMC, who 
>> never made a decent car after the 50's, just using what they had to 
>> keep producing the cars, that were for some part good ideas, but bad 
>> design. The mini was a great idea, but mix the gearbox oil with the 
>> engine? Oh dear. The BN2 with a extra gear in a much heavier gearbox 
>> that really added no extra performance, then the 100-6 with that 
>> horribly heavy engine and no more grunt. Why would anyone do that, 
>> and just ruin the balance of the car? Ok after that they added the 12 
>> port head to it, but the sixes at their best are really ponderous in 
>> the steering department relative to the BN1, which is a nibble well 
>> balance car. I'm going so far as to use an alloy block in my BT7 to 
>> turn it back into a descend handling car and restore the weight 
>> balance. BMC basically self destructed, while the rest of the world 
>> moved forward, what a shame.
>> Cheers
>> Larry Varley
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