Very rare center shift, triple carb, two seater.

Description for Austin Healey 3000 1962

1962 Austin-Healey 3000 Mk II BN7

Chassis No. H-BN7-L/18001

Engine No. 29E-RU-H/4930

Documents California Black Plate, Clean Louisiana Title,BMIHT Certificate,

·Rare Mk II two-seater, triple carb BN7 model with the later, desirable centre-change gearbox; one of 125 built as such.

·Matching original chassis and body numbers, engine and gearbox ID tags/stamps match Heritage certificate, original keys and ignition barrel and boot lock. Almost all dated components are original or have period correct dates.

·Delivered new to Okinawa, Japan; later long term resided in California

·Recent complete rotisserie, nut and bolt restoration by Austin-Healey specialist BMC Restorations following Concours guidelines to simulate factory originality.

·Desirable triple-carburettor example in quintessential Healey Blue over Ivory White with blue leather

Please note that this lot can be viewed during this listing and will need to be collected from Kiln, MS, USA

It is well documented that this particular model is the rarest of all the production Austin-Healeys, with only 355 Mk II BN7s produced between March 1961 and March 1962. This number was reduced further when, in November 1961, the much-improved centre-change gearbox was introduced, with which there were only 125 Mk II BN7s produced. This particular car was built on the 7th and 8th of March, 1962, the final month of two seater, triple carb BN7 production.

Dispatched on 20 March 1962 to Okinawa, it is believed it was delivered to a US Serviceman. The car remained there during that duty assignment before being shipped to San Diego, California, in the United States in 1963 when it was registered with a black California license plate,VJF 204. The vehicle resided in the San Diego area for a number of years, and then in the Stockton, CA area where it was put into storage. In the early 2000's, it was purchased by Tom's Import Toys in Portland Oregon, stored and later sold to the first of two owners in Baton Rouge, LA. The first started, and the current ownercompleted a comprehensive restoration at marque specialist BMC Restorations in Kiln, MS. Most of its driving years were in California where that state’s dry climate helps explain the car’s outstanding, practically rust free condition prior to restoration.

BMC Restorations confirm that this car is a genuine factory two-seater, triple-carburetor, center shift example fitted with almost exclusively original factory components, which is also confirmed by the accompanying BMIHT certificate. The chassis and body number plates are the originals as fitted by the factory in 1962 and in excellent condition for the age of the car. The engine number plate matches the number on the heritage certificate. The chassis is the car’s original and is in superb condition with a few minor repairs done while on the rotisserie. During disassembly, it was found that the left side door was not original to the car. During the restoration process, a replacement factory original left rear fender was installed to replace the dented and repaired original.

The car retains the original aluminum front and rear shrouds, steel front and right rear fenders, steel passenger door, steel boot lid, and steel bonnet. Due to the car's driving years in California, there was only very minor rust found in the rear section of the driver's side rocker panel in the rear wheel well, and minimal surface rust in the inside bottom of one front fender. The chassis has been sand blastedbefore self-etch priming, seam sealing, and paint, and all steel panels have been sanded to bare metal before self-etch priming prior to body work, priming, and base/clear Standox paint. The front grille mouth is correct and matching the front shroud, and the cockpit mouldings match the original location holes in the rear shroud and boot. The body has excellent panel gaps, door fitment, and cockpit moulding alignment.

The engine is correct and original to the model. The engine ID plate no. 29E-RU-H/4930 matches the Heritage certificate. The engine has been fully rebuilt to factory specification with receipts available, restoring it to it's 132 hp and 167 lb ft of torque. The original cast-iron cylinder head has been fully converted to run on unleaded fuel. The engine is running the car’s original SU triple-carburettor setup which have been rebuilt by specialist Joe Curto. The engine and components have been painted the correct color of Healey engine green, and the layout of the engine and all auxiliary components are exactly as the car would have been in 1962. The ignition system delivers spark from a period correct sport coil, the original distributor, and high tension leads matching those when the car was purchased new. The engine and carbs have been tuned and balanced during the break-in miles after restoration.It starts immediately, runs smoothly, and accelerates briskly.The batteries are specialty Antique Auto Battery provided twin six volt units that replicate the original tar top appearance of the original batteries supplied with the car when new with modern internals. The starter and generator are rebuilt originals. The radiator was recored with high efficiency fins and reassembled exactly as original.

The car retains its original three synchromesh, 4 speed gearbox, number 2745, confirmed by the BMIHT certificate. The gearbox and overdrive have been rebuilt with all new seals, bearings, and synchronizers. Shifting is crisp and quiet, and the overdrive engages and disengages flawlessly. The rear axle is stamped with the numbers 11/43, confirming that the car is fitted with the correct3.9:1 final drive rear-axle ratio,and has been rebuilt with all new seals and bearings.

All suspension components have been stripped, blasted, and painted original colors. All components have been fully overhauled using all new bushes, bearings, and seals. The car remains on itsoriginal, re-arched rear springs with new coil front springsto retain the correct ride height and ride quality of the original car. New 0.027" zinc strips have been installed between the leaves as per the original specification. The new coil springs have been marked with red brush paint just as was originally done by the factory.The wheels are new, correct sized 48 spoke painted wire wheels just as the car was delivered from the factory. Five new, date code 0922 Vredestein 165/80-15 tires are mounted on the wheels. The original steering box for the car was fully re-bushed and rebuilt. The brake and clutch master cylinders were rebuilt to preserve originality, while the remainder of the hydraulic systems for the car were all replaced with new components for safety and reliability.

One example of the meticulous detail that has been utilized in restoring this car to original factory condition are that the Austin-Healey 3000 Mk II badge on the bonnet was damaged with broken cloisonne. Reproduction badges sold by parts suppliers delete the hyphen between Austin and Healey (as was the practice by the factory for the Mk III models), so the badge was shipped to Pamela Enamels in the UK to be replated and the cloisonne replaced at a price about double the cost of buying a reproduction badge. A second example, available replacement two-eared wire wheel knock off nuts do not have the (NEAR) and (OFF) side designations as were original, so again, the original nuts were shipped to Graves Plating to have them rechromed for close to three times the cost of buying them new. A third example is that the exhaust system is fitted with an original painted black Burgess muffler.

The interior has been retrimmed to exact Austin Healey 3000 Mk II patterns by UK concours gold winning trim supplier Jonathan Skinner. The interior includes the dark blue leather seats with white piping, correct vinyl material and pattern dashboard, door cards, kick panels, and rear quarter panels. The spare-wheel cover and belt have been tailored to match. All Karvel/wool carpets have been tailored to match the leather interior along with the British Everflex top and tonneau covers. One deviation from original is that modern, foil backed under-carpet insulation has been used in the cockpit and beneath the transmission tunnel. The car is fitted with the original gold-faced instruments that arrived with the car prior to restoration, and these have been fully recommissioned and rebuilt by specialist Nisonger Instruments and reset to 0. A picture of the odometer prior to restoration shows 36,310 miles. It is not known if that represents the accurate, original miles on the car. All gauges retain the correct numbers as fitted to the 3000 Mk II model. The car is supplied with two original Wilmot Breeden FP.XXX keys as confirmed on the BMIHT certificate. These keys match the ignition key barrel and boot lock.

The car is supplied with the correct original 3000 Mk II toolkit and jack which was supplied for this model from BMC at the time as well as restored side curtains which are kept in the boot in a new side curtain bag.

The car has been meticulously restored by marque specialist BMC Restorations in Kiln, MS as closeas practicable to original factory specificationsas advised by the "Originality Guide for Restorations and Registry Inspections" as published by the Austin-Healey Concours Registry, "Restoring the Austin-Healey 100, 100-6, and 3000" by Gary Anderson and Roger Moment, "Original Austin-Healey: The Restorer's Guide to 100, 100-Six, and 3000" by Anders Clausager, and the factory parts manual. These books, an original Driver's Handbook, and a three ring binder contains receipts for parts, component rebuilds, engine work, shop labor, and bills accompanies the sale. They will be supplied together with a photographic record from before, during and after the restoration on a flash drive. The 1963 California black license plate and BMIHT certificate will also be provided.

With only 52 break in miles since completion of the restoration, this is arguably one of the finest restored examples of this very rare version of the Austin-Healey 3000 in existence today.

Happy to communicate during the listing, provide more photos, and consider offers. I encourage you to fly into Gulfport, MS and get over to the shop to see and drive this wonderful, timeless classic before buying. You won't be disappointed.

Payment in full by bank wire after we have exchanged a Bill of Sale and I have emailed you a copy of the signed title, is due within 7 days of accepting your offer.