Vehicle Description
Beautiful and desirable 3000 BT7 in fantastic colors. Lifetime
Texas car. Documented frame-off restoration in early 2000s, still
in excellent condition. Bright chrome wheels with radials. The last
of the big Healeys is also the best!There were a lot of variations
of the Austin-Healey sports car, and depending on who you ask, they
all have their own special appeal. What we like about this 1961
3000 BT7 however, is that burly 6-cylinder engine under the long
hood. That's why the 3000s are consistently the most sought-after
of the Healeys. Technically it's a 4-seater, but the proportions
are the same as the 100-6 that preceded it and I'm not sure I'd
call the small divots in the back area 'seats' in the traditional
sense. This remains a roadster in the traditional sense of the
word. This car spent the entirety of its pre-restoration life in
Texas, which means rust was a non-issue, and that was entirely the
point. It was a long search to find just the right car to transform
into the stunning black 3000 you see today. We have restoration
photos showing the car stripped down to a bare metal shell and
rebuilt from there by the experts at Panelwerks. The black paint is
deep and glossy, surely better than new, and the fit and finish is
extremely good, especially for a largely hand-built British sports
car. It is holding up superbly with almost no signs of use or
age?this car could easily pass for a much more recent restoration.
All the chrome was refinished, including the bumpers, grille, and
small pieces, and all the emblems remain bright and crisp. This car
is just gorgeous!The red leather interior is part of why we love
this Healey so much. It's the perfect complement to the brilliant
black bodywork, sophisticated yet flashy, and entirely appropriate
for a big kid's sports car. Everything inside the car is new,
including the upholstery, carpets, door panels, and even the dash
pad. There's a big wood-rimmed steering wheel that warms things up
a bit inside and there's a matching shifter knob for the 4-speed
manual gearbox. All of the Smiths gauges were rebuilt and remain
fully operational, and even though it spent its life in Texas, this
car is equipped with an optional Smiths heater unit under the dash.
The factory overdrive unit is operational and is actuated by a
simple toggle switch on the dash, and it really transforms this
into a grand touring car that can eat up a lot of pavement in a
single sitting. The back seats are probably best for small
children, but it does provide decent storage space, along with the
good-sized trunk, which is fully finished with correct mats. The
car comes with a correct convertible top frame and side curtains,
but a fabric top is not included as the owner never felt the need
for it (replacement tops are readily available from the usual
sources).The reason the 3000 is special, however, resides under the
hood: a 2912 cc inline-6 that is a big step up from the unit found
in the 100-6. Smoother, torquier, and just as willing to rev, it
turned the big Healey into a genuinely fast car for the era. The
engine was fully rebuilt to stock specs and still inhales through a
pair of SU carburetors (this car pre-dates the 3-carb setup, which
is a relief). The engine bay is correctly detailed with Austin
Green paint on the engine itself, proper fittings and copper lines,
and a new fabric-covered wiring harness. It starts easily with a
little choke and settles into a burbling idle that almost feels
like the car is impatient and ready to go. On the road, the exhaust
note is epic and there's torque available all over the tach, which
was surely the goal with the upgraded engine. The 4-speed shifts
cleanly and as I mentioned, the overdrive turns it into a
comfortable cruiser on today's highways. The exhaust system is
stainless, and you can see the results of the frame-off restoration
throughout the undercarriage, which is still extremely clean. It
brakes confidently, steers crisply, and rides surprisingly well
given its primitive suspension setup. Chrome wire wheels are the
perfect finishing touch, and they carry 195/70/15 blackwall radials
that look right and handle great.Documentation includes receipts
and photos from the restoration.I can't stop looking at this car.
It's just lovely. The black paint looks deep enough to swim in and
the combination of black with a red leather interior is hard to
beat. Add in the fact that this is the most powerful of the big
Healeys with the best road manners, and you end up with a car that
does everything well. Available for a fraction of today's
restoration cost, this is a special car. Call today!Harwood Motors
always recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections
of any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.
