[Healeys] new healey

[Oudesluys]

Andy,

I hold another view. It is hard to improve upon the shape of one of the 
most beautifull sportscars ever made, so don't. However you can improve 
a lot under the skin to make it a more modern and better driving machine 
and add a bit of luxury. The original Healey had the perfect shape but 
was by no means perfect: brakes, springs/dampers, steering, engine, to 
name a few. OK I conceede, it is the original driving experience that 
counts. Don't kill me.
I know that these GRP cars can lack quite a lot on finish but the HMC I 
have seen a few years ago (without the flared wheelarches I think) was 
very well finished in comparison with the Sebring. Nice seats, nice dash
The engine is not just any V8. The Rover engine is quite a nice piece of 
kit (although a bit outdated by now) and weighs a lot less than the 
original heavy lump of cast iron and could have been an excellent choice 
for the Healey, similar to the MGB GT V8 compared with the MGC.
It is also used fairly often to replace the Lotus engine in the Jensen 
Healey, they weigh more or less the same, and when executed properly it 
makes a very nice car.

The alternative would be building a faithfull copy like the Bugatti's 
built in Argentina or the Big Bentley's, not my cup of thea.
New Mini (BMW), new Beetle (Golf) I regard as caricatures, the new Fiat 
500 (Panda) a bit less so.

Cheers,
Kees Oudesluijs


andy pole schreef:
> Kees
>  
> I have previously seen both as they were not far from me, Holmes 
> (HMC) in Gloucestershire and Sebring near Wisbech, and sorry but both 
> are cr*p, you either have a classic or base it a modern take of the 
> original (as in the new mini or beetle), its not the same shoehorning 
> a v6/8 into a copy of the classic but grp body.
>  
> They both turn up occasionally at my local classic car show held 
> monthly at Ashby Folville (Leicestershire, 2nd tuesday of the month).
>  
> Anyone in the uk should try it one time, it costs 1 whole pound, on 
> the cricket ground and you get hundreds of cars from new Ferrari 
> Californias (before their release date),GT40'S, rally escorts, 
> e-types, 356's, minis, nobles, you name it, its there.
>  
> I must put a few pics on my website.