A Tale of Two Healeys

By Dan Kahn

Allen Dunne’s ‘60 Austin-Healey 3000

The metallic click of a thin chrome-plated shifter slotting into first. A whirring starter, then the hesitation, and finally the mechanical orchestra of a finely tuned inline six fi ring to life. Chrome wires blurring and wind rushing over sloping fenders as a 46-year-old time machine begins to roll down the Pacific Coast Highway. These are the things that made Allen Dunne dream of British sports cars and lightning bolt logos since he was a boy. After a lifetime of hard work and dedication, he was finally able to make that dream come true, in the form of this flawless 1960 Austin-Healey Mk1 3000 Roadster.

In 1960, the American automotive landscape was composed of gargantuan rolling land yachts, bedecked with huge fins, gaping grills, and slabs of chrome on every panel. Engines were large and loud, and the only measure of performance that mattered was how fast a vehicle could accelerate. The only American sports car, the Corvette, was still hindered by heavy construction techniques and decades-old suspension design. A handful of European sports cars had made an impression with the elite few who could afford them, but the lightweight Porsche 356 suffered from a lack of power, and the ever-popular MG was a bit too delicate for some Americans.

For those who sought English elegance, classic good looks, and the power and handling to back it all up, Austin-Healey was the answer. The marriage of Austin’s manufacturing ability and Donald Healey’s engineering and styling expertise resulted in one of the most successful British sports cars ever built. However, the cars came with a high degree of exclusivity and impracticality, making them a slice of fantasy for many young men and women in the heady days of the early ‘60s.

Allen Dunne always admired the little British sports cars for their flowing lines, jaunty nature and beautiful sound. After raising a family and putting his kids through school, Dunne decided it was time to live out a long-held fantasy. With the price of nicely done Healeys on the rise, he reasoned that investing in a restored English classic would be a lot more fun than throwing cash into a mutual fund, especially since stocks and bonds don’t get the wind blowing through your hair on a brisk Sunday morning.

After doing a little research, Dunne happened across a story on Southern California Healey specialist Kurt Tanner. Along with his father, Tanner has been making a name for himself in the collector car scene with his meticulous Austin-Healey restorations, many of which he does on spec and than sells at auction. Dunne drove out to the Tanner shop, and after inspecting a few of the cars undergoing restoration, he spotted the black ’60 roadster you see here. After looking over the car’s spotless engine, mile-deep black paint, and perfect leather cockpit, he couldn’t resist and made a deal.

The car is totally restored and completely stock, including the 2.9-liter inline 6, cast iron cylinder head, and four-speed transmission. Two SU-HD6 carburetors provide fuel, and stock bias ply tires put the power to the pavement. Even the stock Smiths gauges have been fully refurbished to their former glory. The result is a perfectly finished mechanical time machine, like a finely tuned watch with four wheels and a burbling exhaust note.

After bringing the Healey back to his Pacific Palisades home, Dunne immediately took it out for a spirited sprint on one of the world’s most breathtaking roads, the Pacific Coast Highway. The wire wheels were shining, the exhaust purring, and a pair of leather driving gloves kept the wood-rimmed wheel pointed in the right direction.

Since then, Dunne has taken the 3000 to a few Healey club events, and even won a first place trophy in a Palisades car show, but shiny awards aren’t why he bought the car.

The shimmering British sports car you see here is more than a car. It serves as a portal to the past, a way to drive away from the hustle and noise of modern times. Driving out to the photo shoot location, seeing Dunne’s ear-to-ear grin as he wrapped up a scarf and slipped on his driving coat, we saw a man living his dream, and that’s a very special thing indeed.

Ron Weingart’s ’63 Austin-Healey 3000

The scream of a high-compression V8 winding past 9,000 rpm. The sweet smell of 100-octane wafting through the air. The lonely howl of tires pushed to the limit on an abandoned canyon road. These are the things that motivate a man to cut up a perfectly fine British car and morph it into a fire-breathing hybrid beast. Part classic roadster, part knuckle-dragging brute, Ron Weingart’s half-breed Healey is completely unique and one of the scariest vehicles we’ve ever laid eyes upon.

This story started nearly four decades ago, when Weingart moved from the East Coast to Los Angeles. He made the 3,000-mile trek in a stock ‘63 Austin-Healey 3000 MkII convertible. The die was cast, and while that Healey was eventually sold, the intrepid attorney and real estate investor went on to own many more classics, including a Triumph TR3 and a ‘47 MGTC.

After obtaining his second ‘63 Healey 3000, Weingart removed the stock drivetrain and repowered the car with a 283 Chevy small block. The combination worked well, and over time he continued to massage the car for improved performance and handling. After a friend nearly totaled the Healey in a grisly rollover accident at the racetrack, Ron decided that if he was going to spend the money to rebuild the car, he’d like to transform the Healey into his vision of the perfect roadster.

The crashed-out hulk was delivered to Healey Masters in San Fernando, California. The metalworkers at the shop began the lengthy reconstruction process by removing all the crashed panels, which included nearly every piece of sheet metal on the car, save for the hood. Weingart always loved the longer lines of the 3000 model, but lusted after the jaunty style and slicked-back look of a 100-4 roadster. The decision was made to integrate the best-looking elements of both models into the wrecked Healey.

After the top of the 3000 body was removed, the crew at Healey Masters grafted on a 100-4 rear deck and front cowl, as well as a 100-4 lay-down windshield. The old 3000 convertible doors wouldn’t work, but 100-4 roadster doors were too small, so they cut down a pair of rare 3000 roadster doors and reworked them to fit on the Healey hybrid.

Once the major surgery was complete, finishing touches were added to give the car extra panache. Tri-C engineering crafted a custom tube grill designed to emulate a 100S. Custom extra-large fender louvers were constructed to improve engine compartment airflow, and the scoop on the hood was enlarged and made functional, complete with an aluminum NASCAR-style airbox. Finally, a full belly pan was formed to the underside of the car, complete with airfoils that improve aerodynamics and decrease lift at speed.

The mechanical modifications read like a crew chief ’s wish list. Power comes from a 406-inch all-aluminum Chevy Donovan V8, fed by a dry-sump oiling system and dyno-certified to produce over 600 horsepower at 9,000 rpm. A six-speed transmission channels power to a narrowed Ford 9-inch rear differential. The suspension has been completely re-worked with center-mount coil-over shocks (like an Indy car), controlled by a custom rack and pinion. Weingart designed the four-bar rear suspension himself, and the entire setup is attached to a full-length chrome-moly tube subframe that ties front to rear through the rocker panels.

What truly makes this custom Healey shine, however, isn’t the massive shrieking engine or the hybrid bodywork, but the finely tuned details. Beautiful one-off Colorado Custom billet wheels cover giant Wilwood disc brakes. The dash was carved out of a single chunk of aluminum by a 5-axis CNC machine. The leather Healey seats have been subtly modified for improved comfort and support. The trunk houses a custom gas tank and fully polished fire suppression system. Every detail has been carefully tended to.

After spending two days with Ron Weingart and his hybrid Healey, we learned that to him, this is not a racecar or a streetcar. It’s not about crossing the finish line first, or winning trophies at shows. The 40-year obsession that spawned this creation is all about passion, and the desire to push a mechanical object to the absolute limits of logic and reason. Now if only we could borrow the keys…