I used the Healey hard for the next 2 years, auto crossing, back road racing in the Santa Cruz Mountains against my buddies new MGA coupe. In 1962 I got married and my new bride did not like having a sports car as our only car. So I gave in and traded the Healey in on a new VW Bug. 12 years later I traded my wife in on a newer model but that’s another story!
In the fall of 1979 I became friends with a guy who had a red 1964 BJ8, and that inspired me to look for a Healey. I purchased a nice 1965 BJ8 for $4000.00. The next spring I purchased a 1962 BT7 Mark II from the original owner and proceeded to restore it with the help of my new friend and finished in time for the 1981 West Coast Meet in Mt. Shasta, CA where it won best of show in concours. This was before the current judging system of Bronze, Silver and Gold. More concours awards followed in the next 4 years and it is still my main driver, 31 years later. I have driven it 105,000 miles since and it still looks good if you don’t look too close.
In 1993 my job of 25 years with Sears went away after my department (home improvement) was closed nation wide. I took severance pay and bought a 1965 German Specification BJ8 and started restoring it to sell. Before I was even half way done the president of the Austin-Healey Owners Club of British Columbia heard that I had it and he wanted it. His Healey was also a 1965 BJ8 that was built with in 6 months of mine but needed a full restoration. So I took his Healey in trade and that was the start of Healey Lane Restoration. He still has the Healey and has put a lot of miles on it including in Europe. It’s still a great looking car.
Next month will be my 20th anniversary of my restoration business. Most of my restoration work has come from Austin-Healey club members here in the west coast. I have also been selling Healeys at the Barrett-Jackson auctions for 16 years now.. I hired my son Robert about 5 years ago to teach him the restoration business. He’s a quick learner and will continue the business when and if I retire. Robert bought his first Healey in the spring of 2010, a 1960 BN7 that needed a full restoration which he has now finished and is Healey Blue with a Navy interior.
I joined the Austin-Healey Club of Oregon in 1979 and have served as a club officer is various positions for over 20 years. I am also along standing member of the Austin-Healey Club of America, pacific Centre which is now Club USA and the Washington Cascade Club. I feel it’s important to belong and to be active in the Healey clubs if you are restoring Austin-Healeys and no other marque. A lot of Healey restorers do not even belong to clubs or even have their own Healeys. I have also judged in the annual west coast Austin-Healey meets in the concours judging which helps me to do a more accurate job of restoring.
I use the national concours standards in my restorations to make sure they are accurate. I do use chrome wheels but these are requested by the owners. I try to use most of the original fasteners after I have them zinc plated. We also do a lot of powder coating on small parts and also top frames.
We are currently doing a ground up restoration on a 1960 BT7 for a customer in Northern California. We finished a ground up restoration on a 1960 BT7 Mark II for a customer in Michigan in the Spring of 2011.
There is another Austin-Healey restorer in Southern California who also used the business name of Healey Lane Restorations but please don’t get me mixed up with him. I’m proud of my reputation and would like to protect it.
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