Martha's Vineyard Classic Car
Part
2 of 3
Austin Healey Restoration
Don
Macdonald's Austin Healey Restoration
This project is ready for the paint strip phase, not
one of my favorite chores. I have hand stripped two vehicles and vowed
never to do it again after completing the Healey. Living on the island
makes it difficult to shop out some jobs, this particular project
could have been done much quicker if I lived in the real world
Viewing
the Healey straight on before the mess begins. In all the years I've
owned the Healey I never had a clue how much damage and rust would
be found. Damage to the front end ( though not serious)
had damaged the front right fender and lower part of the cowl area.
I am about to discover the extent of damage and body fill that was
created prior to my purchase.
Another view showing all the inner fenders and
panels repaired with primer paint applied. This is a highlight in
the project as most of the mess is cleaned up and parts are looking
like new again. I finally begin to feel like I'm making progress.
One gallon of paint stripper at my side
and I'm ready to tackle the project. Notice all of the door area has
been replaced and painted. If you are contemplating a Healey purchase
this is the place to look for hidden rust. It will probably be worse
than it looks