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1963 Austin-Healey 3000 MK IIA (BJ7)

This vehicle has now been sold - click ‘Register Similar’ below to get notified when we consign a similar vehicle.

Sold Price

£49,950

  • Mileage~1,124
  • TransmissionManual
  • Engine3.0L
  • LocationPeterborough

SOLD

1963 Austin-Healey 3000 MK IIA (BJ7)

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Introduction

Glyn Parry
Professional Consigner

With its legendary styling and unique character, the British 'Big Healey' is a firm favourite among classic enthusiasts from the 60s.

Originally launched in 1959, the first of the "Big Healey's" was born, nicknamed as a result of the 3.0L engine it featured. Bodywork was shaped by Jensen Motors and assembled at BMC MG Works in Abingdon. The 3000 really stood out on the track, winning multiple classes in many Europen rallies and races. As was the trend at the time, almost all of 3000's were exported worldwide with most ending up in North America. The 3000 MKII version was quickly followed at the end of August 1962 thanks to its initial MKI popularity. The BJ7 model was a sports convertible variant with additional driver comforts, a new wrap-around windscreen, wind-up side windows, swivelling quarter lights and a quick-action folding roof. Mechanically the car saw improvements as well, with an improved camshaft and twin SU HS6 carburettors replacing the triple SU's in the engine bay.

This Austin-Healey is a really lovely car thanks to its recent restorative work and has been subtly upgraded to a "fast-road" spec. The chassis has been fully restored, the car resprayed in "British Racing Green" and wire wheels repainted in black, the 2+2 red hide interior has been replaced and includes a new black mohair soft top. Mechanically the car has been upgraded to a "fast-road" specification including engine upgrades to a BJ8, other enhancements include a stainless steel manifold and exhaust, high torque starter, alternator and disc brakes. With just ~906 miles on the clock since the restoration, this "Big-Healey" is well worth a look and one not to be missed.

This listing was written from information supplied by Glyn after meeting Tom the owner, and having visited and photographed the vehicle.

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Secure Auctions

We verify all our sellers and buyers to keep our community safe whilst also providing the highest levels of website security.

Full Transparency

8 out of 10 people that buy cars via our service don’t feel the need to visit due to the transparency and thoroughness of our listings.

Vehicle Delivery

We're there every step of your buying journey and will even arrange pick-up and delivery of your new vehicle.

Meet the owner

There was just something special about this Austin-Healey, I couldn't resist the charm of this proper classic with some updated twists.

The current owner Tom, originally purchased the car due to his passion of more classic type motoring, "I wanted a car that I could enjoy for more leisurely driving and that was ultimately fun and enjoyable. The 3000 MKII ticked those boxes for me and its a car that I've really loved".

He has owned this car for just over a year, and in that time has had a service actioned and any other maintenance work as detailed, and covered over ~500 miles in that time. He has a collection of cars, most of them more modern classics from the 90s, and is in the process of thinning down the collection, hence this BJ7 coming to sale with us. Should any questions be required, Tom would be happy to answer these in the comments section below.

Tom
Vehicle Owner

Tom saved £8,820* when they
sold their Austin Healey with us.

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Exterior

Beautifully elegant OTS styling and classic British engineering, this 3000 MKIIA is a striking car due to its extensive restoration work.

Wheels and Tyres

The 3000 MKII is on a set of of 15" black painted wire wheels. These are in great condition with very minor marks and overall really smart. The style of the wheel section compliments the car really well with a particular highlight are the knock off spinners.

The wheels are fitted with a set of Continental Contact tyres to the front with the tyre spec showing as 165/80 and date codes of 2022. To the rear, the tyres show with a mix of Michelin and Vredestein. The condition of tyres looks great overall with no obvious cracking or real signs of wear. Please take a look at the photos and videos for a detailed view of the exterior of this Austin-Healey and a closer look at the wheels and tyres.

Bodywork

Having benefitted from a full restoration the bodywork shows in excellent condition. Looking over the car, the panel gaps are looking straight and no major dings or marks noted. Both doors and bonnet and boot open and close well without concern. If we were being particularly picky, the base of the door edge stood ever so slightly proud from the body but this was likely to do with the interior metal rework pushing the door edge out slightly.

We've highlighted in more detail our observations through our hi-resolution images and videos, so please take time to look through all the media files for a detailed view at what’s on offer, and for you to assess the condition of the car for yourselves.

Paint

Finished in a lovely colour of "British Racing Green", the finish is very good. There were a few really minor imperfections but overall showed in a lovely condition. The paint cover is even in colour and coat on each panel of the car from our observations. To finish the car off to an excellent standard, a machine polish would likely bring out an extra level of shine.

Again, we have taken high resolution images and videos of the car for you to assess the condition of the bodywork for yourselves. The images are taken from a few different angles to show off the car as you would see it if you were standing there for yourselves. So please take the time to fully assess these high resolution images and videos of the car, for you to make up your own minds about the condition of the paint.

Glass and Trim

Windscreen section, side windows and mirrors all appear in great condition and we could see no sign of scratching or chips on the main glass sections. A lovely additional touch looking over the detail are the leather style straps on the bonnet section, a nice vintage note added by the current owner. The exhaust pipes are located to the nearside of the car closest to the door edge and add a great sense of racing style.

The car shows in a really lovely way and even the tonneau cover to the rear showed in great condition. Equally the soft top roof also showed in great condition, albeit a little dusty when we put this up as part of the review. The seals, badges and light sections to the front and rear look great around the exterior and in line with the rest of the condition of the car. There were some observations from our visit where the additional metal plates included as part of the restorative work on the interior, has caused some minor marks to the door card sections.

Interior

Classy 60s red leather seats and a matching dash make the interior of this charming classic a lovely place to be.

Seats and Carpets

The seats are finished with red leathers with the material looking great across all the seats thanks to the restoration work. All seats in the car look in great condition with little sign of wear across any of the sections - overall, this was a very smartly presented interior. Seatbelts are included with the car but are not fitted, these would have to be installed by the future owner as these were omitted as part of the restorative work.

Looking over the carpet sections, the mats showed to be in good condition, and looking underneath these, the main floor sections showed without concern. The carpets look good but would benefit from a deep clean in some areas. We've captured high-resolution photos and a full interior video tour through the car. This covers off the angles inside the car for you to review and appreciate the condition of what's on offer here in our interior review section.

Dashboard

The clean red dash appears in great shape with no issues or scratches to report. The top of the dash presents well and without splits or cracking to this section. Mileage counter showed with ~906 miles at the time of our visit, the odometer having been reset as part of the restoration work by the previous owner.

We noted no issues with any warning lights and the oil temp, water gauge, speedometer, rev counter, fuel gauge and overdrive mode were all functioning without concern. Please take a look at the gallery images for a closer look at the interior sections.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

A well presented 3-spoke wooden wheel shows in great condition without major signs of wear, the machined metal looks great.

The same can be said for the 5-speed gearstick which shows no visible signs of major wear or damage, and presents in good condition along with its gaiter and red leather base surround. We've captured high-resolution photos for you to review and appreciate the condition of the interior in our gallery section.

Mechanics

The BJ7 had impressive figures from factory, this car has been upgraded to BJ8 specification, pushing out ~150BHP from factory.

Engine and Gearbox

Starting the car up from cold showed no issues and it drives without concern with its manual 5-speed with overdrive gearbox powering the car nicely. The 3000 MKII functions very well and goes through the gears without any struggle. We heard no signs of slipping or issues with the clutch.

The engine bay showed in fine shape and engine rail sections displayed really well, we noted no signs of oil leaks or anything unwanted in this area. We did note with the exhaust section, that as the Austin sat low on the ground, the exhaust scraped a little when the suspension fully compressed on the open road. We took the car on a short drive and go into further detail about the Austin-Healey, take a look at the the mechanical review video to see the detail and the car in action.

Suspension and Brakes

On the drive out, Tom took us around some local roads, we heard no unwanted knocks, bangs or noise from the suspension, it provided an enjoyable journey. Looking underneath the car, the condition shows well with only minimal signs of surface corrosion on some of the bolts and under edge sections.

The brakes felt to have no pull or vibrations that stood out to us when on the journey and brought the car to a stop without a problem and with the kind of stopping power you'd expect, with discs all round. Overall the car performed as to be expected with no observed issues. Please take a look over the mechanical videos and photographs to see close-up images from under the car.

The Drive

There’s nothing quite like a "Big Healey", and thanks to its recent upgrades and restoration, you'd be hard pushed to find one as good as this is. With its 3.0L engine and mechanical upgrades the performance on the 3000 MKII is really remarkable and with a low centre of gravity, the handling is really great as well.

Electrics and Other

Being a 60s car the setup is relatively simple when it comes to electrics. The car does comes with a rear section black tonneau cover, soft top folding roof, a tyre repair kit and pump in the boot. Also in the boot is a Lucas battery and isolator switch.

A welcome addition to the cabin area is the inclusion of a heating system. This is a modern fan and heater inside a Smiths heater box to retain an authentic look but with more modern performance. Tom let us know that he has had no issues with the electrical elements on the car and to the best of his knowledge, everything was working as it should do.

History and Paperwork

A fully restored 'Big Healey', this car has covered just ~900 miles since then, and

Originally an export car to America, the 3000 MKII was imported back to the UK in 2012. The car has benefitted from a full rework, converted to RHD, it is now mechanically and visually sound. Subtly upgraded to a 'fast-road' spec, the chassis has been fully restored, the car resprayed in "British Racing Green" (where the finish was originally "Ivory White") and wire wheels have been repainted in black. For the interior, the 2+2 red hide has been renewed and the car had a new black mohair soft top.

Mechanically the car has been upgraded to a fast road specification including engine upgrades to a BJ8 standard, other enhancements include a stainless steel manifold and exhaust, high torque starter, alternator and disc brakes. The MKIIA comes with a great amount of paperwork for the restorative work as well as its British Motor Industry Heritage Certificate. Should there be any questions required, Tom would be happy to answer these in the section below.

We’ve done all our usual seller checks including photo ID, V5 and actioned a HPi check on the vehicle.

We've summarised our own view on the car based on information gained from the seller in the listing above, however, and as you can see, we go to great lengths to photograph and video the car in hi-resolution detail - this has been done for you to make your own assessment from the comfort of your sofa. So please sit back, have a cuppa and take your time to review everything on this listing in order to make your own assessment on the vehicle's condition. Viewings are also welcomed with all our listings, so please get in touch with us to arrange a suitable time - we just need to speak to you first and receive a valid photo ID before confirming.

If there's anything you're unsure about, no matter how small, then please first ask the owner in the comments area below before placing your bid/s, as bids can't be retracted and form a binding contract if you win the car - just like a traditional auction house. This is an auction on behalf of a trade seller and normal auction rules apply, i.e. there is no warranty, no return policy and bids are binding with more info in our terms and conditions.

Service History
Date Type Mileage
20.07.2022 Service 452
Key Details
  • Model3000 MKIIA (BJ7)
  • TransmissionManual with Overdrive
  • Reg. Date01.01.1963
  • CC2,912
  • Mileage~1,124
  • HistoryGood
  • ColourBritish Racing Green
  • Interior ColourRed
  • Interior TrimLeather
  • Chassis #HBJ7L20011
  • Engine #29F-RU-H/690
  • Last Service20.07.2022
  • RestoredYes
  • Engine RebuildYes
  • MOT ExemptYes
  • Road Tax ExemptYes
  • HPi ClearYes
  • Former Keepers1 registered in the UK
  • LHD or RHDRHD
  • VisitedYes
  • Sale TypePrivate
  • Owned~1 years, 4 months
  • Key FeatureGreat condition, fully restored, uprated to BJ8 specs
  • Auction ID1488







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Ask Questions
Post a comment or ask the owner a question about the car.
AJS
Member
AJS

Hi Tom Have you asked why the V5c shows the date of 1.1.63 for first reg. when the car was completed 18.6.62 & despatched 18.7.62? Also, why the V5c shows the make as “Agrifac” not Austin Healey? I know cars 40 yrs & older aren’t required to have an mot but it’s surely best practice to have one. eg: yours has never been mot’d & doesn’t have a rear number plate illumination light (reqd. for mot); not in itself the end of the world & not difficult or very expensive to rectify, but it does raise a question as to… Read more »

CTom
Member
CTom

Hi
To be honest i didn’t query these points when I acquired the car as I am not much in to the details which I know in the classic car world is everything but I was impressed by the build quality of the car and it was the right price at the time I have enjoyed it and wouldn’t be selling if it wasn’t for recent health issues not sure this helps but thanks for your interest
Regards Tom

AJS
Member
AJS

ok thanks Tom, I understand your thoughts re: build quality, just not the original importer not getting it mot’d or chasing the DVLA for a correct V5c & correct ’62 reg (without the “A” suffix). Regards
Andrew

AJS
Member
AJS

Thanks Tom. I’d not have a problem with just getting a spare wheel & tyre. I’ve also done some chasing re: max engine bore & there is a suggestion that bores can be sleeved if needed to save the block; hopefully never needed.
Regards Andrew

AJS
Member
AJS

Great looking ‘Healey. I see there’s no spare & agree this leaves much more luggage room in the boot, but please will you clarify how the “puncture management” kit works?..does it fill the tyre with gloop so it has to be replaced; can you confirm how far one can proceed with the “fix” activated & does the fix kit have a shelf life/when does it need replacing? My main concern is that the engine block is over-bored to +60thou’ which is the max allowed, so the block would be scrap if any re-bore was reqd. But, l can see why… Read more »

CTom
Member
CTom

HI Thanks for your inquiry ,the tyre repair kit is a natty little thing has got lots of gismos to plug the tyre etc and a compressor to reinflate that works off the cigarette lighter thingy which this Healey hasnt got so not a lot of good !! I expect you could put crocodile clips on it and do it that way never had to use it so far so cannot say how good it is, I have breakdown cover on my insurance and let them sort it to old now to change wheels hence me selling ,it really is… Read more »

Flanelswick
Member
Flanelswick

Hi, does the brake system have a servo? What happened to the brake fluid reservoir?
Thanks

CTom
Member
CTom

Hi
What a good good question the fluid reservoir is under bulk head on drivers side not sure about servo all I know it has disc’s all and stops very well without any due pressure needed
I bought the car after auction from Silverstone it is my 4th Big Healey it is in top notch condition only selling because of sadly age and infirmity hope this helps thanks for your interest the car is open for any inspection or test drive
Regards Tom

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Vehicle Location

Peterborough

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