Austin-Healey 100/4

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Want some extra fun or usability from your classic? Then here’s our top tips

There’s an army of specialists for parts for the most valuable Austin-Healey of them all. Names worth knowing include: A.H. Spares 01926 817181, A Head 4 Healeys 01788 565000, Bill Rawles Classic Cars 01420 564343, Rawles Motorsport 01420 23212, JME Healeys 01926 499000, Denis Welch Motor Sport 01543 472214, Murray Scott Nelson 01723 361227, DM Classic Cars 01772 614237, UK Healey Centre 01924 899007 and, finally, the Austin-Healey Club 0116 2544111

Front suspension

If you wish to retain the lever-arm dampers, which are leak prone opt for quality replacements. Front damper mountings prone to working loose and a full refurb can cost up to £1500

Bottom end

Seeps oil, usually rear; a crank seal kit (under £50 from A.H. Spares) cures it. Block beyond repair? Unit was also used in certain Austin Taxis and the 4x4 Champ which also has the 100S crankshaft

Engine

Oil pressure is about 10psi at idle to 50psi running. Camshaft, timing chain and tappet noise is pretty common but sump can dropped in situ to carry out rebuild. Overheating usually simply due to poor cooling, servicing

Transmission

Parts for BN1 ‘Atlantic’ transmission are becoming harder to obtain so consider converting to BN2 Austin Westminster hardware. Rear axles prone to leak and seeps onto brake linings

Brakes

Properly maintained with quality linings, drum brakes suffice if you’re not heavy on them. The BN2 sports larger drums which are notably better but fitting discs is sensible and no dearer if you use 3000 types

Chassis

Body is welded to chassis, making proper repairs much harder with main rails and outriggers the worst areas. Parts availability is very good and new frames are available from A.H.Spares at £3500

Wheels

Standard 48-spoke wheels are known to be fragile, many now have 72-spoke items instead. If wires are fitted, regularly check for play in the splines by raising then rocking while the footbrake is applied

Steering

Slight slackness is usual and usually adjusted out. If leak prone steering feels loose it’s because of worn bushes and kingpins. A.H. Spares has new CNC-made boxes at around £1500 or the inners, a sub £600 touch

Body

Entire bottom nine inches is susceptible to rot. Front shroud is particularly hard to restore, as it consists of alloy sections welded together. Inner sills structural, hard to repair. Wings either steel or alloy

M&S: The love letters

M and S form the starting point for any tuning exercise. The former is a tuning kit developed by ‘The Cape’ and is a 110bhp half-way house to the racing spec S (S for Sebring). Also known as the Le Mans kit, it’s a 100S cam, modified head and ignition. The S is something special as the 132bhp was care of a unique Westlake eight port alloy head and a reworked chassis. A closer ratio ‘box was employed sans overdrive but with a special 2.9:1 rear axle