Border Reivers …….making dreams come true

Yesterday I drove my newly acquired Healey 3000 home and finally completed a long loop of desire that began when I was 9 years old.
This is a note of thanks to several members of the Healey community who have helped me to achieve the “one day I’ll have one” resolve that began with my Dad bringing home a copy of Motor Sport in which there were pictures of gorgeous Le Mans cars. I fell in love with these low, sleek, open, two seaters at that point and on my next birthday my Scalextric track arrived. My favourite car in the set was a Healey 3000.
I am sure this will be a familiar story to many of you.
I have harboured a desire for the cars ever since then and became more determined to have one after joining the AHC at the Classic Car show in Birmingham last November.
Jim Finch was immediately very helpful and spent an hour with me at the show explaining the qualities and idiosyncrasies of the various models. He later took a closer look at a Mk1 for me at Rawles Motorsport. That car, the price and me were not well matched.  However, I began to look further afield.
After weeks of internet gazing and research into shipment and importation I came within a few hours of buying a tri-carb from a dealer in Los Angeles. Jim Palmer had put me in touch with the AHC USA wing and Mike Scroggie of the Southern California chapter was helpful in introducing me to Russ Thompson who agreed to look over the car on my behalf. Unfortunately the car was sold just before Russ was due to inspect it. Looking back on this though – the sale of this beautiful, very attractively priced car at that point was quite a coincidence and for all I know it could have been an inside job!
Russ gave me a lot of information on the cars and another Los Angeles car came up shortly afterward but was rejected following his advice.
More weeks of searching led to Border Reivers on the banks of Loch Lomond – somewhat closer to home – where a lovely black car was beckoning to me from the screen. Thanks here to Jim Palmer who had earlier given my contact details to AHC members in Scotland – one of whom was Donald Gordon who called me to say hello and welcome. Again as a relative newcomer to these cars I felt the need of an expert eye. Donald agreed to help out and accompanied me on the inspection & test drive.
Border Reivers is run by Tom Fitzsimmons who now specialises in Porsche but he retains an affinity with Healeys and he seems to have them in his bones having restored and rallied them in an earlier life.

The other loop that was completed as I bought the car was to bring it back into the club. With the help of Donald’s sleuthing I have learned that my car; VAS 842; a black MkIIa, was previously owned by David Birkinshaw. David was a member of the UK Northern Centre and he sadly passed away early in 2016. He clearly loved the car and the Healey community and he was highly respected by it as I have seen from the obituary to him in the April 2016 Revcounter and in a video interview with him at Knock Hill during the 2013 Healey meet. I am delighted with the car and I am very pleased to know that it was improved and enjoyed so fully by David.

I have heard several people say that the cars are conversation starters and I can attest to this as one such conversation began on the test drive – with a police officer!
I drove the car out and Donald drove it back to Tom’s showroom, coming to a stop in the road after overshooting the entrance. A police car followed us closely to the next turning point where we stopped in a large car park waiting for the lawman move on. He circled us twice and then parked immediately in front of the Healey – blocking our exit. The guy got out looking stern. We began to wonder about speed limits, seat belts, brake lights, things falling off the car and other misdemeanours but then he beamed at us and said “what a wonderful car” – starting one of those conversations!

I drove the car back home yesterday from Loch Lomond across some glorious Scottish countryside to Aberdeen accompanied by the glorious straight six soundtrack. The car was very impressive on this first trip and it has been set up very well by its recent owners and by Tom.

This note is mostly to say a big thank you to all of you (particularly Donald) who have helped me to get to this point and fulfil a lifelong desire. My knowledge of the cars and my confidence in buying one shot up after joining the AHC. The community is very informative, friendly and helpful and I am very pleased to be a part of it.

Best Regards to all,

Tony Ball