I saw a post somewhere online a few years ago about a guy from TX that claimed to have built these cars for Shelby (of course can't find it now) Wonder if there's any truth to it? I also heard Shelby was selling kits to install a V8 into a Healey but could never find any documentation. Ring a bell?
There's some common myths in their conversation but thing is, if Shelby had built three V8 Healeys, why didn't he mention them in his autobiography? Self Promoter was just one of qualities!
When I was at Ball State back in the late 60s early seventies there was a young man who was son of one of our profs who had a healy that he put in a ford v8. It was rough but really reminded one of a cobra.
I think Dennis Collins has got a long way to go to prove any Shelby connection to this car. By the time this car was built, guys had been putting V8s in Healeys for a number of years. Short of finding the guy that supposedly built this for Shelby, it's just going to be another beat-up old swap.
Initially, he wanted to build them for the street, according to the guy selling a 106 to Dennis Collins. However, Austin Healey would not sell him the chassis. UNVERIFIED social media post.
Shelby did build Bug Eyes for the driving school. One crossed the block at Barrett Jackson January 2020, before the bug hit. https://www.barrett-jackson.com/Even...-SPRITE-234067
Cobra Make, Engine: Former owner: JCF 289 slabside, ERA #329 and 424, GTD "Essex Wire" GT40; currently enjoying Hi-Tech 427 #147
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Here's a link to an interesting Moss Motoring article about Shelby and his connection to Donald Healey. I had frankly forgotten that CS had set several land speed records in Healeys. Per this article Shel initially contacted Donald Healey about his "V8 in a British roadster" idea, was turned down, and called AC. I believe I've read that before but it's been years since I've looked at Carroll's pre-Cobra history.
Here's a link to an interesting Moss Motoring article about Shelby and his connection to Donald Healey. I had frankly forgotten that CS had set several land speed records in Healeys. Per this article Shel initially contacted Donald Healey about his "V8 in a British roadster" idea, was turned down, and called AC. I believe I've read that before but it's been years since I've looked at Carroll's pre-Cobra history.
I've never been able to tie down what exactly happened when Shelby approached Donald Healey to put a V8 in the Healey. At the time, Shelby was shopping his idea of a V8 swap to a bunch of different British manufacturers. It must be remembered that Donald Healey did not control the production of Austin-Healey cars. Donald was head of the Donald Healey Motor Co. Ltd, a very small manufacturing company that produced the Healey 100 and exhibited it at the London Motor Show in 1952. He made a deal at that show to have production of the car taken over by the Austin Motor Co., that later was taken over by the British Motor Corp in exchange for royalties on each car produced. So when Shelby came around with his idea, Donald Healey could only control what his DHMC could produce, not overall Austin-Healey production. BMC may well not wanted to see a Shelby-Healey in competition with the E-Type. Meanwhile, Chevy probably didn't want to be selling motors to a project that would kick the Corvette's butt. Donald Healey was a real hot-rodder and I think he would've gone for the idea in a heartbeat, but his corporate minders either quashed it or he knew it was a no-go from the start.
Around 1984, I rebuilt a stock Hi-Po 289 that was in a beautiful red colored Healey. The owner went to college in So Cal and during that time blew up the original 6 cyl. He had Shelby Ent. install the 289 with a Borg Warner four speed. The engine had unique exhaust manifolds, two into one on each side. I remember the owner (Raymond) telling me the folks at Shelby had to install different springs on the front of the car because the 289 was so much lighter in weight!
I think the Shelby legend gets lost in the familiar with the Cobara, but he was involved in so much other cool stuff. The Scaglietti Corvettes are drop-dead gorgeous. Do a search on this site for "Corvace" and see a Chevy-based AC that might have inspired Shel. And one of his employees, Ted Stanton, who figured out how to put the 427 in the Cobra was hired because of the work he did putting a 289 into a Healeyl. Most of been a great time to be a car guy in So Cal
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Did Shelby Build a V8 Austin-Healey?
I always had a thing for Sunbeam Tigers. I think it was because of Get Smart!.
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