Austin Healey 3000 Rally car - Road test - HD - Great sound!

Austin Healey 3000 Rally Car
In the 1960's car manufacturers proved the durability of their products, not by offering
7 year warranties, but by entering officially organised long distance, road based driving competitions against rival manufacturers. These International events called Rallies caught the imagination of the public and became annual fixtures. Lasting for several days, over thousands of kilometres, on rough roads and inhospitable environments, it was a good way to prove new cars.
The British Motor Corporation (BMC) realised that the Austin Healey, in particular the 3000 model, could be the basis for a winning car. They developed it into a world beater and became very organised, employing the best UK and controversially for the time, Scandinavian Drivers.
The most impressive victory, was the gruelling 1960 Liege-Rome-Liege won by an all female crew, with Pat Moss (Stirling's sister) driving and Anne Wisdom navigating.
The effort was truly heroic and the girls overcame hallucinations caused by sleep deprivation, while still managing to drive flat out. At the time, the very thought of the so called gentler sex, beating all the best male drivers in the world was an unprecedented achievement and did much to uplift the image of 'women drivers' everywhere.
The 2912cc works spec engine, typically runs triple 45DCOE Weber carburetors, a 300 degree cam and a full race alloy head. Outputs are typically between 200 and 300 bhp. The output varies with the compression ratio and the choice of carburettor choke diameters, dependant on whether you want low down grunt for rallying or top end for racing. This car is a rally car and will accelerate to 60 mph in about 5.5 seconds and can almost crack 140mph.
The Achilles' Heel of the Big Healey, was cockpit heat (from the set back engine) and a lack of ground clearance. This car has the works 'in door' or 'sill mounted' exhaust to get the exhaust pipes out from under the car..
The gearbox is a straight cut 4 speed, with overdrive (a sort of ratio extender) on 3rd and 4th, giving 6 ratios. In this car, like the works machines, the overdrive switch is ideally mounted on the gear lever.
Fuel consumption averages around 14mpg, dropping to around 7mpg when pressing on. A long range 18 gallon works style fuel tank is therefore a vital addition.

[@notbobchannel]

GREAT POV video....with great sound! Thanks for sharing it with the rest of us.

[@prashanthpanicker2890]

I have loads of respect for those who actually drive their Healeys!

[@steinwaygrande3971]

Prashanth Panicker My Healey is a show car but rest assured it doesnt sit in the garage at home. Only time I dont drive it, is when its raining for obvous reasons.

[@steinwaygrande3971]

Should read :only drive it when its NOT raining for obvious reasons

[@chrisparkhurst771]

+Steinwaygrande Sorry what is the obvious reason ?

[@tomsigsworth5424]

+Chris Parkhurst 50 year old convertible sports cars are not exactly 'dry'.

[@steinwaygrande3971]

Don't need to spend time putting on the hoist and power cleaning the gunk off the chassis and floor. Only time it's on the hoist is when I do my routine services and maintenance.

[@wilko10]

Wow! The Timo Makinen? One of the greatest Healey drivers ever. Thanks for sharing.

[@Heatherrrrr-uh2sl]

I'm the best Healey driver. What are you thinking?

[@bromigfox]

Learned how to drive in an AH 3000--Wow! is all I can say. Great vid.

[@chrisflemington819]

Lovely to hear the sound of a straight cut gearbox and look out over the bonnet louvres a very evocative video which I’ve watched many times but love it thank you. 🚘

[@14shelbygold]

I really want a Austin Healy right now! I saw one at a local tire shop & it would be amazing to drive one! Wow what a beautiful sound!

[@3DLE1010]

If this truley is Timo, much respect.....It was the early pilots of the big Healey that inspired me wrestle the big Healey in "modern" vintage racing events.

[@speedfinder1]

Excellent video. The nice thing is that the driver clearly had the sense to drive the car at an appropriate pace for the public highway. Going fast on a "Stage" is another thing and I'm sure this will do just that when asked!

[@jonnyspeed]

I love the sound of a 3L I-6! I had one in my BMW Z3 and loved it. I love my MX5, but I need another I-6.

[@ducfandan1117]

Oh my... the sound of that big 6 with the whine of the rally gearbox... incredible! And I am sure KZbin isn’t even beginning to do it justice.

[@LZDEN]

one word..........fantastic!!!

[@onefastcyclist]

Cool - the early 60's saw some of the best automobiles from B/L. The Jag XKE,MGB, & TR-4 all came out during the first years of the decade. A family friend raced a 100/6 and later a 3000 in local SCCA events with great success! A shame they didn't follow up this class act. Thanks for posting

[@racketman2u]

I can't think of any car less suitable for rallying than the Big Healey, with its legendary lack of ground clearance, but there y'go; Stirling Moss's little sister won a heap of ladies rallying trophies driving one, too!

[@Heatherrrrr-uh2sl]

I drove my dad's to high school I think he was afraid I'd be a nerd. God I miss that car. I miss the smell of it. If you know you know.

[@tooeybrown700]

Great car! My father had one but never completed the restoration. Too bad that your drive was somewhat limited by the roads available but it did give us the opportunity to hear the engine better.

[@AbandonEarth911]

What a fantastic sound. I would love it and polish every day.

[@MrGreencheetah]

Thanks for the awesome ride!!! Love the sound!!!

[@vernonsaayman9741]

Most beau tiful car history!

[@georgeharleydavidsonrider156]

British sports cars . I love the Austin Healey’s. What an amazing sound. I like all British sports cars. I don’t know why you drive on the wrong side of the road in England? I think I could ever get used to that . LOL

[@andybwel1]

It is possible that the custom of driving on the left dates back to pre-history and may later have been used as an early road safety measure. At a time when the main danger on the roads was mugging, careful travelers would pass on-coming strangers on the left with their sword arm towards the passer-by.

[@davidcompton7559]

Wonderful video, marvelous sound!! At first, scary viewing for right-hand side-of-the-road Canadians (but I got over it:) Cheers, D.C. '72 MG Midget).

[@MenFrallyteam]

Engine sounds really great nice job

[@heatmoon]

Martijn Broekhuizen These straight six with their down draft carburators sound like nothing else. Just fantastic

[@steinwaygrande3971]

I still own my original A/H 3000 BJ8 bought new in South Africa in 1968.Originally in BRG with beige leather seats and carpets. Had two restorations and in 2014 a full body off and all new aluminium door panels as well as lower sills, front and rear mudguards. Engine and gearbox stripped and cleaned up with new bearings and synchro rings. Motor rebored to 3.3 litre and all new brakes front suspension and rear brakes converted to disc brakes. Seats and carpets in pale grey and paint is two pak Colorado Red. Exhaust silencer now fitted under rear bumper .Also raised the suspension by two inches No more ripping the silencer off. New soft top courtesy of Mercedes Benz and insured for AUS$110,000. Has the electric Over drive and after market air con fitted to deal with the heat in Australia

[@lrcb40]

a glimpse of heaven...

[@Xxmeca421xX]

What an awesome car, and the driver seat view looks amazing. Too bad I'll probably never see one since I live in the US

[@brianfarrell2994]

That's where most of them were exported to .

[@InDaBurbs]

awesome, but would be nice to have some shots of the car and the oily bits and an explanation of what was done to get it to perform at this level

[@wickiezulu]

Out of interest, have any Big Healey owners ever fitted the 4.0 DOHC 6-cylinder found in the Aston Martin DB6 and DBS to an Austin-Healey 3000 / etc to create an "Aston-Healey" as it were? Interested to know in light of seeing Big Healeys fitted with various V8s as well as the Rolls Royce FB60 powered Austin-Healey 4000 prototype.

[@tonylang7526]

OWNED ONE IN '67-'69 -- HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN ANY OF THE DETASILS OF STEERING, SUSPENSION, BRAKING, & TOP DOWN BC EVERYTHING IS HINGED ON THE CLASSIC RASPY ENGINE SOUND!! LADY FRIEND WITH A TESLA X IS NOT ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE HEALY APPEAL!?!

[@chrisparkhurst771]

Most of these cars are never driven on the roads if it might rain owners live in fear that might suddenly rust or that they have to spend time cleaning it I drive my Healey all year round at High speeds had it for almost 40 yrs Most classics now are just garage Queens this is one of them it lives in north London!

[@curbozerboomer1773]

Sheer wonderfulness!...but even my old 1959 100-6, had much of that very mechanical, growly sound surrounding me, making me feel "as one" with the car!...Back then, everyone was slapping a sound system in their cars--but not me!...Why ruin the transcendent sound of that throaty six cylinder machine! Some people just don't "get it"--and never will.

[@APMHIYT]

glad to say im your 60,000th viewer

[@48censor]

DRIVING THE WRONG WAY ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WOULD FREAK ME OUT

[@984francis]

What do you say the "wrong way" when you mean driving on the left? There is no "right" or "wrong" about it. I hear Americans refer to driving on the left as "wrong" frequently. Why does everything that does not pander to American ways have to be "wrong"? And, why would it freak you out? In my experience, there is no difference since the roads are set up appropriately and the driving side is also on the left for right hand side roads and on the right for left hand side roads. It really isn't difficult, it simply requires an open mind. And, even taking a left hand side car to from Britain to France, where the roads are right hand side, isn't difficult.

[@48censor]

fuck u

[@984francis]

@@48censor Ah. You are American. Thought so.

[@jonohx]

Your local roads look worse than ours. Doesn't stop me from using my classic however. Just more cleaning ....

[@AbandonEarth911]

Could you keep it until i win the lottery.

[@ericbouza854]

I cannot understand why so many car videos show hood cams for 10-25 minutes. Sorry, but its boring. How about showing shots of the car passing by, showing the cockpit, motor?

[@48censor]

NOBODY IN ENGLAND DRIVES BRITISH LEYLAND ANYMORE.

[@curbozerboomer1773]

So what?

[@Guckyful]

How boring. To watch out of a windshield for minutes. reminds me of the stupid skiers with their helmet cameras. I wonder who the heck would want to watch white snow slopes comeing closer and closer....

[@steinwaygrande3971]

If you found it boring, why may I ask did you bother to watch ??