There are few classic cars with as large a following as the Austin Healey. If you are lucky enough to have one, then unless you bought a restored example you are probably going to be looking for information about Austin Healey restoration. One of the main problems faced by many classic car enthusiasts is finding parts for their projects, so where are the best places to find what you need for your task.
As production finished in 1968, and the company no longer exists, it is inevitable that over time it will become harder and harder to find new parts for your car. Even if authentic parts are available as they become more scarce they will become more and more expensive.
One place you can find parts may be an owners club, and many do exist. If you attend the meetings you will often see people selling or trading parts, often the club will have a website. Sites like these will always have people who will be looking to sell or trade parts, either through classified ads or on a forum. As well as parts owners organizations will be an invaluable source of help and advice once you start to work on the car.
Another good place to look for rare parts are breakers yards, many are more like parts stores than junk yards. You can find used components that often are either refurbished or tested, and guaranteed working. As they are rare classic cars it may take some e-mail or phone work to find yards that have what you need, but this can often be the cheapest option. You may be able to find a damaged car you can buy for donor parts this way. Or even find your next Austin Healey restoration project if it is only lightly damaged.
Online auction sites like eBay can be another rich source of parts and equipment that you will need. It is worth keeping an eye out this kind of site for bargains. If you go down the donor vehicle route, you can even use sites like this to sell any parts you have left over when your project is complete.
For large structural parts, chassis rails for example, you may be able to get metalworking companies to fabricate the part for you. Often for obscure parts, or repairing large parts that would be expensive to replace, this can be the most cost effective option.
As you can see Austin Healey restoration can be a challenging prospect, but finding Austin Healey parts should be achievable. Due to this gorgeous classic cars popularity, even though production stopped over forty years ago, it should remain possible for some time to come.
