Turbocharged 1966 Austin-Healey 3000 MKIII Rally Car
Vehicle Details
- Year: 1966
- Make: Austin-Healey
- Model: 3000 MKIII
- VIN: HBJ8L/34149
- Mileage Shown: 6,569mi (TMU)
- Transmission: Manual
- Title Status: Clean (in transit)
- Color: Green
- Seller Type: Private Party
- Location: Rockwall, TX 75032
- Lot #: V-0026607
Available for auction is this 1966 Austin-Healey 3000 MKIII rally car finished in British Racing Green over a black leather interior. Produced from 1959 through 1967, the Austin-Healey 3000 saw success in motorsports, taking wins in its class in many European rallies. This 1966 MKIII example is said to have been owned by the seller’s family prior to their acquisition in 1998. It has been built to compete in Hillclimb and rally competitions and as such features an array of upgrades including a full roll cage, a Tremec T-5 manual transmission, a TiAL turbocharger, Quaife limited-slip differential, 17” Daytona wire wheels, fender flares, driving lights, and much more. Having received a complete engine refresh earlier this year, this 3000 is now being offered for auction by its seller out of Texas.
This Austin-Healey comes finished in British Racing Green with yellow over-the-top stripes and wears a mix of vinyl decals. The seller reports that the car received a complete respray during its original build. Details include a works rally trunk lid, flared fenders, front driving lights, a mesh front grill, and a removable hardtop. The seller notes some patina and touch-ups commensurate with years of competition. Detailed images can be found in the gallery.
The cockpit includes black leather upholstery which covers the sport seats, center console, and door inserts. Fitted ahead of the 3-spoke wood-rimmed steering wheel is a polished wood dashboard that frames analog instrumentation and various gauges. Equipment includes an aluminum shifter with a leather boot, racing harnesses, and a black-finished roll cage. The seller notes that the odometer has been replaced.
Beneath the bonnet lies a 6-cylinder fuel-injected. Updated equipment includes a new Tremec T5 gearbox, an aluminum drive shaft, and a Quaife limited-slip differential. Mechanical modifications consist of an aluminum radiator, aluminum block, electric water pump, aluminum head, aluminum connecting rods, a TiAL turbocharger, a revised adjustable camshaft, a lightened flywheel, a carbon/carbon 7.25-inch clutch, a roller rocker valve train, Ferrea racing valves, Smith brothers push rods, aluminum engine plates, forged pistons, copper head gasket with steel O-rings, electric water pump, and a high-volume electric fan. The seller states that the complete rebuild and refurbishment of the engine was completed by the beginning of 2023.
This sale will include a clean title.
Auction Results
- Highest Bid: $75,000
- Auction End: Feb 21, 2023 09:00:00PM UTC
- Number of Bids: 8
Comments (27)
Bid in the amount of $75,000
Bid in the amount of $60,000
Bid in the amount of $50,000
@pottycar I ran Pikes Peak in the Vintage Car group, which no longer exists. When USAC took over management of the race, they concentrated on high dollar sponsored entries. Thus, the Vintage Group was eliminated. I ran the event before the car was turbocharged. With a NA engine, I finished the climb as can be seen by the finish line picture but the car ran out of power as it climbed. With that engine, I probably had only about 125 hp at the summit. I finished in the middle of the Vintage group.
Has car been in pikes peak hill climb, if so what were results?
Bid in the amount of $20,000
Bid in the amount of $11,250
The side bar of the roll cage swings out to enter the car
When the side bar is in place, it is pinned with a quick release pin
For the video, go to YouTube and search for healey fun run. Should take you right to it. I think that I was ignition testing that morning. It was before I added the M&W cdi
Idle smooth as soon as car warms. E85 does not like cold
BTW, the video that was tagged in your comment does not seem to be working for me either. Would love to see that!
@rjhco - what a beast! Does this car really produce 385 BHP at the wheels. Wow! do you have to feather the throttle to keep the car at idle? If so, does it improve when warm? How easy is the side door bar to remove for entry and exit? Very cool. TIA
@rjhco how do we see this video?
@rhart Car is fully street legal, registered, insured. Car has a full roll cage, not just roll bar. The roll cage is padded.
Can this be driven on the street? Yes, I know about driving a roll bar car w/o helmet.
@millstoneman here is a youtube video of a test run in North Texas countryside early one Sunday morning.
healey fun run youtube
With all this talk of engine modifications, suspension work, boost, compression ratios, blah, blah, blah. Give us a driving video! We can hear it start and idle, but come on now, show us what she's got! Get the viewers excited.
@DS266 the engine management system is MOTEC, The car is very well dialed in but if you wanted to make changes, tune or tweek, there are many qualified shops that can help. I can direct you to a few MOTEC experts. I believe that MOTEC has a video or Q & A access for gaining familiarity with their system. It has been around for a long time in the racing sector.
The ignition system is an M&W CDI, which also has information on the Internet.
Tire pressures, camber, toe, etc., I can give you the settings for this car. I can also run through the switches o n the dash, pretty simple - most are factory.
This is a very unique and custom build. Is there available a set up spec, operating, and or maintenance instruction book on this vehicle? Log book? Doesn’t seem like a just jump in a drive car.
Bid in the amount of $10,000
Bid in the amount of $5,500
The compression ratio is about 10.5:1
The aluminum block was sourced from Australia as a raw casting. Using original factory blueprints, the block was machined by an old-time master, who has since passed away. The cylinders have steel liners. The main caps are factory steel ones. In order to increase the head bolt torque, we inserted steel anchors into the block. Head torque is 90 foot pounds using copper head gasket with steel O-rings around cylinders and rubber O-rings on water passages.
What you are recalling about aluminum connecting rods was the prevailing practice decades ago. Metallurgy has changed a lot since then. If you want to add nine pounds of rotating mass to the engine, I believe that I have the original connecting rods in storage, which could be re-installed.
I generally run the engine at 145 to 166 kPa, which is 7.5 to 10 pounds of boost. The boost is adjustable but operating above 166 kPa risks blowing the head gasket.
The car has not been on a dyno. Operating performance suggests that at 166 kPa , the hp at the flywheel is 410 to 425, which would be 375 to 385 at the rear wheels .
Also, what amount of boost is being run? What is the compression ratio? Have you had the car dynoed?
@rjhco If I recall correctly, aluminum rods were only used in dragster type of motors due to their relatively short life compared to other rod materials, which is also why no manufacturer I am aware of uses them. For racing where a motor is frequently rebuilt after races this is not an issue. But can you explain the longevity of these rods and whether other rods could be fit if the motor needed a rebuild in the future? Also, can you tell more about the aluminum block. This clearly was a massive build! Thank you!
Engine is Austin Healey but custom aluminum block (Works designed) and aluminum head
Aluminum connecting rods is correct, custom made by BME with proprietary aluminum alloy.
Suspension is Austin Healey, lowered, larger anti-sway in front, anti-sway bar added in rear, Koni tube shocks with upgraded internals.
Panhard link in rear.
Wilwood discs front and rear, aluminum calipers and aluminum rotors hat. Drilled rotors.
Bid in the amount of $5,000
Aluminum connecting rods? I that a misprint? Can more details be provided regarding the engine and it's build. Is this an Austin Healey engine? What about brakes, suspension, etc? Thank you @rjhco