The Progression
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Sept. '95 |
June '96 | May '97 |
May '01 |
When I bought this car it was in fair running condition left from a restoration done around 1980. The body was pretty straight with evidence of shroud repairs that leave the grill a bit flatter than original. The engine compartment was really dirty and the engine looked as though it had been neglected for many years with paint flaking off and gunk and oil everywhere. The engine ran well but the overdrive didn't work. The interior was clean enough though the vinyl used was an odd shade of reddish brown and very shiny. Original wood pieces for behind the seats were all gone and carpet covered that space. The original steering wheel was in place though the trafficator control/horn button assembly was missing, as is common with these cars. 48 spoke wire wheels were on the car with the front hubs on the wrong sides of the car making the knock offs prone to working loose such that I lost a wheel on the freeway in the second week I owned the car.
In early 1996 I got a new interior completed in tan from a Moss Motors kit. The dash pad has been replaced by the aluminum dash trim from a 100/4 and the fascia got all new vinyl. Selected vinyl bits have been omitted from the wheel arches (detail). The carpet is a cut pile in dark brown and all interior is new including the fascia panel and the doors etc. A Mota Lita steering wheel was added along with a new rear view mirror on the dash.
 Regular Mota Lita |
 Mota Lita Derrington Style Wheel |
Here's a view of the Cockpit as it was when I bought the car, showing the padded style dash trim and the original wheel minus the trafficator switch gear. The Fascia and seat on the left pictures is the vinyl that came with the car, the picture on the right shows the Derrington style wheel made by Mota Lita and the wood shift knob. Notice the padded upper dash piace has been removed and the cockpit is now trimmed with the aluminum molding from a 100 model. I have covered my fascia with vinyl, though I have seen an excellent example in San Diego with a painted dash just like the 100's had.
The engine is the stock 2639cc 6/12 port head with a later model cam and in June of 1996 a Monza free-flow exhaust system installed that really sounds great and I could feel the power increase over the old system of a single Glasspak exiting t hrough one tailpipe. Cooling is aided by a flex fan and a closed coolant system. The oil filter is a modern type element mounted on the frame similar to how the works team had theirs. A aluminum valve cover with Austin Healey script and a chrome colored high-power coil was added to the engine room.
There are many other goodies that have been added to this car such as a 3.54 rear end, and a hard top.
