[Healeys] Healeys

[Bob Spidell]

Haven't driven a BN1, and only put a few miles on our BN2/100M but can tell it's more nimble than my BJ8.  However, I 
think the BJ8 is a better touring car because, let's face it, we probably spend 80+% of the time on freeways and 
straight-as-a-section-line highways, and the big 6 is sweet music for the long, straight (boring) roads, and serviceable 
on the twisties.  The 3.54 diff helps a lot, too.

Bob



On 7/6/2014 12:57 AM, Larry Varley wrote:
> I think it's time that the list had a healthy debate, and some fun. I would propose that the only real Austin Healey 
> was the BN1, designed by Donald Healey and Gerry Coker. Everything after that was BMC, who never made a decent car 
> after the 50's, just using what they had to keep producing the cars, that were for some part good ideas, but bad 
> design. The mini was a great idea, but mix the gearbox oil with the engine? Oh dear. The BN2 with a extra gear in a 
> much heavier gearbox that really added no extra performance, then the 100-6 with that horribly heavy engine and no 
> more grunt. Why would anyone do that, and just ruin the balance of the car? Ok after that they added the 12 port head 
> to it, but the sixes at their best are really ponderous in the steering department relative to the BN1, which is a 
> nibble well balance car. I'm going so far as to use an alloy block in my BT7 to turn it back into a descend handling 
> car and restore the weight balance. BMC basically self destructed, while the rest of the world moved forward, what a 
> shame.
> Cheers
> Larry Varley
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>


-- 
*******************************************************************
Bob Spidell           San Jose, CA            bspidell at comcast.net

*******************************************************************