by Bernard Martin
We're restoring a 1956 Austin Healey 100-4. BN2 It was, quite literally, a barn find: On a late Friday afternoon in November 2014,we got a phone call to come and identify a rusting old car. We recognized it immediately as one of just over 4600 BN2's that where produced in 1956 by Austin Healey. We had to rip the weeds growing up out of the floorboards . We offered a price to restore it but it was beyond what the owner image it might be. Rather than see it just hauled to the scrap yard we offered a price to purchase it ourselves and make it an in-house project restoration that we could work in spare moments rather than see it go to the junkyard. We'll be updating you with more of this restoration project in the future.
We're restoring a 1956 Austin Healey 100-4. BN2 It was, quite literally, a barn find: On a late Friday afternoon in November 2014,we got a phone call to come and identify a rusting old car. We recognized it immediately as one of just over 4600 BN2's that where produced in 1956 by Austin Healey. We had to rip the weeds growing up out of the floorboards . We offered a price to restore it but it was beyond what the owner image it might be. Rather than see it just hauled to the scrap yard we offered a price to purchase it ourselves and make it an in-house project restoration that we could work in spare moments rather than see it go to the junkyard. We'll be updating you with more of this restoration project in the future.
The Austin Healey 100
The Austin-Healey 100 is a sports car that was by Austin-Healey built from 1953 until 1956. It was developed by Donald Healey to be produced in-house by Healey's small car company in Warwick and based on Austin A90 Atlantic mechanicals. Healey built a single Healey Hundred for the 1952 London Motor Show, and the design impressed Leonard Lord, managing director of Austin, who was looking for a replacement to the unsuccessful A90. Lord struck a deal with Healey to build it in quantity, bodies made by Jensen Motors were given Austin mechanical components at Austin's Longbridge factory. The car was renamed the Austin-Healey 100.
| The "100" was named by Healey for the car's ability to reach 100 mph (160 km/h); its successor, the better known Austin-Healey 3000, was named for the 3000 cc displacement of its engine. Production Austin-Healey 100s were finished at Austin's Longbridge plant alongside the A90 and based on fully trimmed and painted body/chassis units produced by Jensen in West Bromwich—in an arrangement the two companies previously had explored with the Austin A40 Sports. 14,634 Austin-Healey 100s were produced. The 100 was the first of three models later called the Big Healeys to distinguish them from the much smaller Austin-Healey Sprite. |  |
The Big Healeys are often referred to by their three-character model designators rather than by their models, as the model names do not reflect the mechanical differences and similarities well.
The 1956 Austin Healey 100-4 BN2 & 100M
The BN2 was fitted with a real four-speed manual transmission, still with overdrive on the top two gears. Other features that distinguish the BN2 from the BN1 are the slightly larger front wheel arches, different rear axle and being the first 100 with optional two-tone paint.
 | In 1955, a high-performance 100M model was introduced, with larger carburettors, a cold air box to increase engine air flow, high-lift camshaft and 8.1:1 compression pistons. It produced 110 bhp (82 kW) at 4500 rpm. The front suspension was stiffened and the bonnet gained louvres, along with a bonnet belt. Approximately 70% of 100Ms were finished with a two-tone paint scheme, including one White over Red and another in Black over Pink for display at the 1955 London Motor Show. In all, 640 100Ms were built by the factory. |
| The 100M components (except for the high compression pistons) were also available as the Le Mans Engine Modification Kit, which could be installed in either a BN1 or BN2 with the engine in situ, improving the power output to approximately 100 bhp (75 kW) at 4500 rpm. The kit could be ordered from BMC, allowing private owners to make their own modifications.The BN2 was available initially in Carmine Red which was replaced with Reno Red, Spruce Green, Healey Blue, Florida Green, Old English White, Black, and approximately 50 Gunmetal Grey cars. Two-tone options were: White/Black; Reno Red/Black; Healey Blue/White; Black/Reno Red; and Florida Green/White By January 1956 production was running at 200 cars each month and sales in California 150 cars each month. |  |
The final BN2 was built in July 1956, with a total of 4604 BN2s produced, including the 100M.
Our plans
We're going to recreate this with all the LeMans 100M modifications. It's also going to have a fullly aluminum side skins. Keep following us as we make more progress!
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