Saleofcar.com :Austin

Austin Healey 3000 (1965)
for sale

Price: US $10,000.00

Description:

This auction is for probably one of the best unrestored Austin Healey 3000’s to be found anywhere. It is reluctantly offered for sale by its second owner having covered only 31, 191 miles since new! It was purchased by him in 1988 from an estate sale from its first Owner a Mr George Fuller with 21, 575 miles recorded at that time. Mr Fuller purchased it new from Baker Automotive, in Atlanta Georgia. It was used by him until 1969 when he encountered a major health issue that caused the car to be put in dry storage for 19 years. When purchased by its current owner every aspect of the car was original and although not driven for close to 2 decades it roared into life with very little coaxing. Unfortunately although the storage was dry it was sitting directly below a skylight and the sun had yellowed the paint and damaged the convertible top so the car was shipped to Texas and these issues were addressed, having a proper bare metal respray and new factory top professionally fitted. During the next 12 years the car was garaged and driven on special occasions and displayed in many central Texas AH events. The owner relocated to California in June 2000 and the car was transported there with the odometer reading 27, 435. There is supporting paperwork that documents the movements and mileages at the time, including its old Texas tiltle.
Since arriving in California in 2000 it has been garaged and used whenever the owner is in town. During that time any issue however small has always been taken care of immediately. Just prior to being offered for sale the car was prepared by being fully serviced, tuned and any parts that in any way looked suspect were replaced with the best quality available. This car is almost as it left the factory, retaining its original engine, gearbox, axle etc and is very unmolested. The work on this car has always been performed by technicians that are not only very competent but also have a very good understanding of the car and the importance of keeping its integrity in tact.
You can immediately tell from the driver’s seat (original 1960’s vinyl) that this car is a very low mileage car. The interior is 100 per cent complete and in very good shape. The dash is nicely aged - the clearcoat is starting to crack, this was not replaced for the sake of keeping it honest. My advice would be to have this one refinished rather than fitting a new ‘over the top’ shiny replacement.
Starting easily from cold on the choke, the engine runs smooth with good oil pressure. Pulling away the clutch is smooth and the gearbox is excellent in all gears with no noise or synchro issues and the overdrive drops in firmly when selected. On the road it feels solid with firm accurate steering, supple suspension and a good feel to the brakes. The handbrake holds firmly. The idle is smooth and it pulls effortlessly in all gears. Even on very hot days it does not show any signs of overheating.
All electrical items function as they should the indicators even self cancel. Spotlights work off of a separate switch under the dash. The windshield washers feel like they want to work but the jets probably need cleaning out.
It has a good spare in the trunk along with a correct hammer for the knock-offs. The body is very straight, has not been in any accidents all hardware is correct from what I can see. There is not any evidence of rust in the car at all. The paint is excellent with only a few minor issues. There is a small chip on the drivers rear fender and a spot on the front fender has been touched up – see pictures, but overall it has a nice shine and looks good. Underneath the car is pristine, straight floors, the front frame rails nice and straight without the numerous dents that you usually see from errant jacking up and of course completely free of rust. Most of the rubber plugs that are fitted to the drain holes in the chassis are still there - amazing. There are some very minor oil leaks but nothing more than you would expect. The oil pan has a few dents in the front like they do but the anti-sway bar mounts that are usually flattened out look untouched. The door gaps and panel fit are above average. The doors open and close very nicely, that always tells a lot about one of these cars. The chrome on the car is good just starting to show its age on the door trim and rear bumper but still very presentable. The front grille and correct cloisonne front badge are both excellent. The glass is in very good shape as are all of the rubber seals and gaskets. The windows wind up and down with ease and no drama. It comes with both original keys - one works the glovebox and trunk and the other ignition and doors, all locks work fine. The convertible top is very nice, fits tightly and the plastic window is quite clear. It sits on a sweet set of Dunlop chrome wire wheels and good Pirelli P6 tyres.
This car was recently featured in the excellent on-line magazine “Petrolicious”. It was an interesting article regarding why these cars are so collectable. There was also a follow-up article noting the impending sale of the car, well worth a look.
A few months back one of my customers was selling a very nice BJ8 same colour etc and at the time he told the eventual buyer “if you can find a better one you should buy it” at that time this one was not for sale!
It is licensed in California until Dec and the title is clear. If you have any questions please feel free to ask. As always I would recommend driving and viewing the car if at all possible. Please call (310) 833 1525 for an appointment. Bid to buy with confidence, I have sold a lot of British cars on e-bay with 100% good feedback.

_{update: 2015-08-27}