[Healeys] Healey Values and Auction Prices

[Michael MacLean]

     What I am about to say is my opinion only about the subject that has
blown up the list these past two days. (Did I do that?)  I don't want anyone
to get the idea that Tom Rocke is only being mercenary about these cars.  I
bought my Bugeye from him back in 1993 as a basket case and proceeded to do
the restoration I had wanted to do since I had my first Bugeye back in 1971. 
Tom would make fun of me when I told him I only wanted original parts.  He
asked why I bothered to rebuild the ignition switch and the other switches on
the instrument panel when repros are readily available.  I insisted that they
should have the correct date.  I wanted as many of the original to the car
parts go back on the car.  After a while he would help me find original parts,
but still make fun of me while doing it.  He called me one time when he found
an original exhaust bracket that goes from the transmission to the exhaust
pipe.  He called that day and said,
 "Hey come on over.  I found an original bracket, the queen wiped her a** with
it".  He was constantly chiding me about this stuff.  Eventually I came to
understand what he was saying when I showed the Bugeye at British car meets. 
When I opened he bonnet and showed people things like the correct date on the
generator, their eyes would just glaze over.  It means nothing to most
people.  I could have used an alternator in most cases and the majority of the
public at a British car meet would not have known the difference.  Healey only
meets is a different story.  What I am saying is, while Tom restores a Healey
for maximum profit by building the car for the target buyer, he still
understands the affection we have for these cars.  When I told him I was
thinking of putting a Toyota transmission in my BN2 that is under restoration,
he asked me why I would want to do that.  He told me what I wanted was the
British car experience.  You won't get that
 by swapping out drive trains he said.  Heck, he recently hosted a field trip
for a local Healey club to visit his shop.  He answered questions and had a
nice feed and seemed to enjoy talking "Healey".  The attendees seemed to have
a great time too.
     For my BN2 build, I have come around to his way of thinking.  I am not so
anal about original parts that will never make a difference in the driving
experience. Tom does advocate the use of original parts where reproduction
parts are inferior or do not fit right.
     I call my BN2 Frankenstien because of all the parts from other 100s that
I have used.  Maybe I will have to start the engine for the first time during
a lightning storm while wearing a big white lab coat and rubber gloves!
Mike MacLean
56 BN2 (not worth $175,000!)
60 AN5