The One He Always Wanted

          In the big picture it really didn't take Mark Neumann that long to get the car of his dreams. About 12 years ago he bought a 1966 Austin-Healey 3000 Mk III. "I always wanted one," he said of his classic British roadster.
          "My brother had an Austin-Healey Sprite in high school but wanted the big one, the 3000," he added, explaining his history with the Austin marque. His 3000 is actually his second Austin-Healey.
          His first was a 100-6 that he bought in 1974. "It was a project car," he said of the condition when he purchased it. "It was rusted, nothing worked. I got it running and drove it for 25 years." That is when he sold it and bought his 3000.
          Pointing out that he had had enough of the fixer-uppers, his 3000 was in "good original shape" when he bought it. "I had to do some work: weld in the floor boards, paint it, do some upholstery work but it was in pretty good shape when I got it," he explained.

          Mark knew what he was looking for when he went shopping for his 3000. In 1966 the 3000 was nearing the end of its production life, having only one more model year. The 3000 had first rolled off the assembly line in 1959 and the Mk III series was an improvement over some of the earlier models. Mark pointed out that the top was actually weather proof, something that wasn't always the case with the earlier models. This incarnation also luxuries such as roll up windows and cozy wings that make driving, especially on colder days, much nicer.
          "The best part of the car is just driving it," said Mark. "We like to go touring. Fall is the best with the leaves changing colors."
          While this isn't a daily driver, Mark said he isn't afraid to take it out of the garage. "We drive about 3000 miles a year," he explained. Most of that is actual driving since they only go to about three car shows and a few cruise-ins each year.

          A typical British roadsters, the 3000 was powered by an inline six engine that, by the time the Mk III rolled around was pushing 150 horse power. No, Mark admitted, this car wouldn't break any land speed records, it is still a great deal of fun to drive.
          "You get on a really windy road and it is a lot of fun. You can go 35 but you feel like you're going really fast," he said with a smile.

          Despite reputation a lot of British cars have for not always being reliable, Mark said that he has never been stranded with his 3000. Though he has had to make a few roadside repairs, surprisingly, one of the biggest complaints against British cars, electrical, has never been a problem. "I put in a new wiring harness and added some extra fuses," he said. "The electric is good."
          While he has had good reliability with his 3000, he did have some problems with his first Austin-Healey. "I was driving on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and smoke started coming up from the floorboard," he said, recounting the situation. "The muffler had blown and caught the carpet on fire. I was driving along going 55 and stomping out flames."
          Today, that story is a fond memory as that car is part of his past. Now, he has the car he always wanted, the big Austin-Healey.