Automotive

John Mishanec
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Austin Healey

Back in 1974, just before my senior year in college, I bought a 1962 Austin Healey 3000, similar to this one with the same paint scheme.  I grew up across the street from a hospital and for years, a doctor parked his Healey in front of our house.  I loved the look of the car and vowed as soon as I could, I would have one too.  When I bought the car, it needed some work but soon it was on the road and I was loving it.  The ultimate chick magnet.  Unfortunately, British Leland had gone belly up and it was impossible to find parts for the car.  I knew where every wrecked AH was within a 100 mile radius.  More than once I was stranded from various mechanical problems.  It seemed every time I drove the car, I had to work on it in order to drive it again.  The last straw was the shaft that drove the points broke.  I spent an afternoon removing one from a wreck at a local junk yard, losing more than a pint of blood to the mosquitos.  I put an add in the paper and a guy showed up wanting the car for his wife.  When he towed it away, I didn't look back.  I always thought I was paying for the sins of previous owners who had neglected the car but having talked with many AH owners over the years, my experience was not atypical.  Beautiful car but pretty unreliable.