2007-05-20 23:14:50 | Lofty writes:

cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Austin-Healey-3000-MK-III-Mostly-original-classic-lines- ...

Seen on eBay, May 2007. Ad reads:

"The current owner purchased this car almost 29 years ago locally from an individual owner. He had it maintained as needed (see copies of the more significant service records in the picture section), and the complete service folder will be given to the new owner. To the best of his knowledge, the car never had any paint or body work done while he owned the car, nor was it ever in an accident. He believes the drive train and most if not all other items are original.

Chad found the following numbers under the hood:

Ø 80-318 on firewall

Ø AC960 (or AEC960) on the engine (see photos)

DETAILS OF CAR:

[ Paint ] – The owner believes the car was repainted over 30 years ago (Ice Blue); but the fact that it has held up this well is a testament to the quality of the job (very professional!). All of the paint matches well and looks smooth and shiny, but it does have imperfections and shows some age.

There is some chipping on the hood in addition to some checking between the hood and headlights (see photos). The paint on the trunk is in nice condition but there is some bubbling below the trunk latch handle and chipping between the trunk and the fender (on the right side).

The sides are also shiny and nicely done, but do have several nicks, particularly on the left rear fender. There is a little scratching in the middle of the driver’s door, as well as nicks behind the passenger door handle.

Most, if not all of these imperfections could probably be touched up (or even totally repainted), if the new owner chooses to do so. However, the car is completely presentable as it is, and can certainly be enjoyed as it is.

[ Body ] – The body mostly looks like it would have been when it was fairly new. When you look down the sides of the car, they are pretty straight. The same is true of the front and back, and top surfaces. The driver’s door does not shut quite as tight as it should, and it may just need an adjustment.

After going over the car body with a magnet, the area surrounding the hood and trunk appear to be a form of fiberglass (or other non-magnetic material). Both front fenders and doors seem very solid and original, with no indication of filler or repair work as far as we can tell. The bottom section of the left front fender may have had some repair work. The rocker panels may have been repaired at one time, as they contain some "non-steel" material.

[ Chassis ] – The underside/chassis looks good and solid, with just regular scale from where the original undercoating came off. Some of the splash pan has rusted away behind the left front tire (see photos). The right/passenger’s side looks fine. A little rust has started in front of the left rear tire (see photos), and there may have been some repairs along the bottom of the rockers, etc. Overall, the underside looks pretty much original.

[ Trunk ] – The trunk was left pretty much original, although inside you can see there is a fairly new battery, fairly new gas tank, etc. The owner is including the trunk liner package seen in the photos.

[ Top ] – The car has an older vinyl top. It all seems to be intact and in decent shape except for one slight repair at the top. The rear window is pretty cloudy, and although you cannot see much out of it, the top can certainly still be used.

[ Chrome ] – The chrome on the car looks nice and presentable from 30ft away, but up close you can see it is aged. All of the chrome and bright work seems to be in place as it should. Everything seems to be mounted well, just as it was originally. Upon close inspection, the chrome around the windshield and below the windows has a fair amount of wear on it and looks aged. The chrome around the lights and the rear bumper is intact, although it does have a fair amount of pitting.

The chrome on the "knock-offs" is in decent shape. The grill, hood, headlights, and the spears on the side all look nice. The top of the front bumper chrome is worn off.

[ Glass ] – All of the glass looks free of bulls-eyes and cracks; however, the front windshield has some wiper marks/wear. The side windows look nice with just a light amount of wear on the right window (from going up and down).

[ Interior ] – The interior looks mostly original, and intact. The dash looks as it should. The gauges are very crisp and clear, and the chrome is in very nice shape. A little polish would really make it shine. There is some cracking on the wood around the choke area, and a couple of cracks on the finish along the glovebox. The vinyl is in nice shape – it is very supple, with good seams and nicely designed stitching. The black on the seats looks nice and glossy, not faded. There has been some rust repair in the floor board, below the driver’s feet. It looks like it was a minor repair to reinforce it.

[ Mechanical Condition ] – Both Chad and owner drove the car (together) and they agree that the car steers precisely as it should. It breaks well, and does not pull one way or another. The same is true of the engine and transmission – the drive train seems to be working well and the clutch feels good. It shifts nice and smooth. According to Chad, this car is "very torque-y and responds very well…(there is a) lot of power in these."

Chad also operated the following items, and they were working at this time:

· Rear tail lights

· Front headlights (low and high beam)

· All front marker lights (clear and amber)

· Turn signals (front and rear, left and right)

· Windshield wipers

· Door locks and windows

· Top mechanism works going up and down

· Gas gauge (slight tap occasionally)

The temperature was around 160-165 when warmed up (sitting idling). The oil pressure shows around 57-58 pounds (idle).

The owner states that the AM/FM cassette radio works, but is not hooked up to the battery right now. The license plate light does not appear to be working, but it just might be a burned out bulb. Also, the over drive has not worked for years, and the owner has no knowledge of why. He said he only used the car for local trips, and never used the overdrive. The car does have a heater but the owner says he cannot remember the last time he used it.

[ Tires and Wheels ] – All 4 tires are Michelin XZX – size 165 x 15. All have about 7/32 tread.

Extra parts included in the sale:

· Extra hood (damaged - has a slight bend about halfway across in the middle)

· Complete new lining for the trunk

· 2 miscellaneous metal pieces (see pics)

· Nice Tonneau cover (middle snap on the right side is missing)"

2007-05-20 23:18:49 | Anonymous writes:

There are a ton of photos of this car here:

firsttraderegistry.com/forsale/5_07/66austin/

2007-07-12 17:52:33 | pauls writes:

Car returns to ebay 7/12/07
cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Austin-Healey-3000-MK-III-Mostly-original-classic-lines- ...
Current bid 9 bids, 6 days left in auction.

Above auction ended at $26,600 reserve not met after 35 bids.