<div dir="auto">I've heard (I have not substantiated it) that there a an electric swap available for a Datsun Z.<div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Tom Mitchell</div><div dir="auto">65 BJ8</div><div dir="auto"><br></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Sat, Feb 10, 2024, 11:59 AM Bob Spidell via Healeys <<a href="mailto:healeys@autox.team.net">healeys@autox.team.net</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><u></u>

  
    
  
  <div>
    The most rational, pragmatic swap at this point would be to an
    electric motor and batteries; done right, it would blow the doors
    off an LS or Coyote swap (up to a 100MPH or so, I wouldn't push a
    Healey chassis much past that, for long anyway-BTDT). How many
    owners do more than day trips anyway (my days of 5K mile trips are,
    unfortunately, in the past). <br>
    <br>
    I wanted a big V8-powered car with all the modern improvements, so I
    bought a Mustang GT and left my Healeys as Austins (Jensens)
    un-mutated, and without the 20-50% drop in market value* (my
    survivors will have to sell my Healeys someday). 475HP--480 if I
    could get 93-octane--disks all around (Brembos in front), electric
    throttle and steering (several modes), 19x9/10 wheels with Michelin
    Pilot Sport 4ses, IRS, MagneRide and Steeda suspension upgrades (the
    IRS is a bit shaky); 0-60 under 5s (supposedly; I'm not good enough
    and the A10s are quicker). Bigger and heavier; I reckon a Nasty Boy
    would take me on a narrow twisty, but on the sweepers and straights
    it's sayonara. The Mustang hauls ass, and it's fun, but the
    Austin-Healeys are simply more satisfying to drive--by far--warts
    and all.<br>
    <br>
    Disclaimer: I am very much an "It's your car, do what you want with
    it" person. I've made small mods to my cars: Pertonix Ignitors in
    both; taller rear-end for highway driveability, Texas Cooler with
    shroud in the BJ8 but I never have, and never will, understand why
    people buy a car they don't actually want just to change it (owners
    with broken/missing engines who think 'Why not?' I can see). Why not
    buy a Saxon and build it up the way you want it from scratch? Oh,
    and for the record, I don't much care for breast implants either;
    just not the same.<br>
    <br>
    * Just my observations from BaT, FB, mailing lists, etc.; I've yet
    to see a Nasty Boy cross the block at B-J or Mecums--doen't mean it
    hasn't happened--but the muscle car 'restomods' with SBCs, LSes,
    etc. are a dime-a-dozen and, IMO, not particularly unique or
    imaginative (they do have garish paint jobs though).<br>
    <br>
    <br>
    <br>
    <br>
    <div>On 2/9/2024 10:25 PM, Chris Scholz via
      Healeys wrote:<br>
    </div>
    <blockquote type="cite">
      
      I love my LS1 swap.  It was a lot of work.  Aluminum dual passage
      Wizard radiator with 15” spal fan-I can drive in a parade at 110
      heat index and car stays right at 195 degrees.  Lots of work to
      get the alternator to fit-I modified a bracket from a Jeep
      wrangler LS swap kit.   Everything barely fit longitudinally-there
      is one inch between the electric radiator fan and my water pump.  
      Had to cut the steering shaft and u joint.  Works great.  
      <div>Like Rick, I have the stock 3.55 Healey rear with a quaife
        limited slip diff and it works perfectly.  72” Daytona wire
        wheels with 205 wide tires.   Lowered the front spring perches
        -my front was so much lighter it was up in the air by 2-3”.  It
        rides and handles so well.  My car was a 1959 100-6 so it wasn’t
        worth as much stock as a BJ8.  I feel my value went up.   </div>
      <div>I love my reliability and the torque is amazing.  Car is so
        much fun to slowly cruise and then hit the gas and go.  I would
        never go back to the heavy iron block.  I feel this an aluminum
        V8 would have been Healey’s first choice if GM would have worked
        with him.  </div>
      <div><br>
      </div>
      <div>
        <div dir="ltr">Sent from my iPhone
          <div>Chris Scholz OD</div>
        </div>
        <div dir="ltr"><br>
          <blockquote type="cite">On Feb 9, 2024, at 7:58 PM, HealeyRick
            <a href="mailto:healeyrik@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer"><healeyrik@gmail.com></a> wrote:<br>
            <br>
          </blockquote>
        </div>
        <blockquote type="cite">
          <div dir="ltr">
            <div dir="ltr">A V8 swap is nothing to be undertaken
              lightly. It's not as simple as "dropping in a V8". That's
              the easy part, mostly focusing on making engine and
              transmission mounts and cutting away pieces of the
              footwells so the motor will fit with the exhaust headers
              in place.  It's all the other stuff you need to do that
              will really add the work. New electrical system, radiator,
              upgraded brakes, fuel system, transmission shifter, etc,
              etc. It's worth it in the end if you want a Healey/Cobra,
              but you'll also knock off about 30 percent of your car's
              value or more.  You can see the work I had to do to put a
              Ford 5.0L and 5 speed transmission into my BJ7 here: <a href="http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,8264" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,8264</a> 
              The Ford 5.0 is narrower than the Chevy LS so less body
              cutting to do, but not a huge difference. LS motors are
              more likely to be found in a junkyard with low mileage now
              and with your brother a GM mechanic, would be very
              helpful.  I did about 50-75% of the swap myself, except
              for the engine rebuild and body fabrication. My car has
              350 hp and I run the stock rear end with 3.55 gears and
              Dayton 72 spoke wires.  Much more power than that and
              those parts will start braking.  A good engine swap is
              really a joy, but if you do a bad one it will be a
              nightmare forever. Chris did a really nice swap with his
              LS but he can speak to how much work it was.
              <div><br>
              </div>
              <div>My first choice if you don't have that "Need for
                Speed" would be to try a replacement Healey 6.</div>
              <div><br>
              </div>
              <div>Best of Luck,</div>
              <div>Rick</div>
            </div>
            <br>
            <div class="gmail_quote">
              <div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Fri, Feb 9, 2024 at
                2:11 PM <<a href="mailto:rfbegani@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">rfbegani@gmail.com</a>>
                wrote:<br>
              </div>
              <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
                <div>
                  <div lang="EN-US">
                    <div>
                      <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Funny you should
                          suggest a v8 replacement.  Chris just made
                          that suggestion to install an LS1 with GM
                          Trans.  My Bother is a retired GM mechanic,
                          and he agrees.  Did you do the exchange?  What
                          engine trans etc. did you use?  All options
                          are on the table.</span></p>
                      <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p>
                      <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Bob</span></p>
                      <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p>
                      <div style="border-right:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-top:1pt solid rgb(225,225,225);padding:3pt 0in 0in">
                        <p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> HealeyRick
                          <<a href="mailto:healeyrik@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">healeyrik@gmail.com</a>>
                          <br>
                          <b>Sent:</b> Friday, February 9, 2024 1:32 PM<br>
                          <b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:rfbegani@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">rfbegani@gmail.com</a><br>
                          <b>Cc:</b> <a href="mailto:healeys@autox.team.net" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">healeys@autox.team.net</a><br>
                          <b>Subject:</b> Re: [Healeys] BJ8 1967 Engine
                          Rebuild failure</p>
                      </div>
                      <p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
                      <div>
                        <p class="MsoNormal">Sorry to hear this Bob.
                          What you've been told so far seems correct.
                          Without the main bearing caps you're in a
                          tough spot.  Maybe trying to find a BJ8 block
                          or a rebuildable BJ8 motor is the best of a
                          bad group of choices.  Too bad, I gave away a
                          bare block with caps from a BJ7 a few years
                          ago for a donation to our club charity.  I'd
                          put a wanted ad in the club magazines and
                          Healey forums, Facebook pages and hope someone
                          out there might have one. Try Hemphills,
                          Healey Surgeons, David Nock, maybe they have
                          one that needs rebuilding somewhere. Or do
                          what I did and put a V8 in there!</p>
                        <div>
                          <p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
                        </div>
                        <div>
                          <p class="MsoNormal">Best of luck,</p>
                        </div>
                        <div>
                          <p class="MsoNormal">Rick Neville aka
                            "HealeyRick"</p>
                        </div>
                      </div>
                      <p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
                      <div>
                        <div>
                          <p class="MsoNormal">On Fri, Feb 9, 2024 at
                            11:12 AM <<a href="mailto:rfbegani@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">rfbegani@gmail.com</a>>
                            wrote:</p>
                        </div>
                        <blockquote style="border-top:none;border-right:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:1pt solid rgb(204,204,204);padding:0in 0in 0in 6pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0in">
                          <div>
                            <div>
                              <div>
                                <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Gentlemen:</span></p>
                                <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p>
                                <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">I arrived back to
                                    Florida in May and decide to drive
                                    my 67 Austin-Healey.  Drove it a
                                    mile and heard clanking engine,
                                    looked at the oil pressure, It was
                                    O! Instead of stooping to have towed
                                    home, I drove it back slowly.  Last
                                    month, I dropped the pan and started
                                    to remove the rod and crank caps and
                                    bearings.  My mechanic friend said
                                    you got lucky the crank may only
                                    need polishing and new bearings. 
                                    So, I packed and marked each of the
                                    main bearing caps, bolts, and
                                    bearings along with piston rods and
                                    caps in individual plastic bags.
                                    Then packed them into a larger
                                    plastic bag which was put under the
                                    workbench near the garbage.  We
                                    towed the car to Mikes garage so he
                                    could pull and disassemble the
                                    engine.  Tuesday, he asked me to
                                    bring the parts I had removed from
                                    the engine so he would have
                                    everything in one place.  I looked
                                    around but could not find this black
                                    plastic bag and then remembered it
                                    got pitched in the garbage. So, I am
                                    now up the famous creek and am
                                    asking this group what I can do?</span></p>
                                <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p>
                                <ol type="1" start="1">
                                  <li><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">I am told the engine
                                      is finished because the Main
                                      Bearing caps are not available and
                                      even if you could find them, they
                                      would need to be line bored on the
                                      engine.</span></li>
                                  <li><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">I am told that
                                      finding an engine block for a 3000
                                      with original main bearing caps is
                                      almost impossible.</span></li>
                                  <li><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Finding an engine to
                                      be rebuild might be possible.</span></li>
                                </ol>
                                <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p>
                                <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">My engine was
                                    rebuilt 6000 miles with years ago
                                    everything new, so I would like to
                                    find a way of fixing the existing
                                    engine, if possible.</span></p>
                                <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p>
                                <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Please give me your
                                    advice.</span></p>
                                <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p>
                                <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Best regards,</span></p>
                                <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p>
                                <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Bob Begani</span></p>
                                <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">67 Austin-Healey BJ8</span></p>
                                <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p>
                                <p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
                              </div>
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