"John Martin" wrote in message
...
On Mar 27, 11:48 am, "Ed Huntress" wrote:

I loved the 100-4. Slow as molasses (85 mph top speed, stock) but it felt
like an old-time race car. That is to say, you'd pitch it into a corner
like
a dirt-tracker and pray everything didn't get too loose. It was a
bit...er,
flexible.

When I first started racing there was a 100-4 at Lime Rock, H production,
that didn't do too badly.

--
Ed Huntress

There was a trick to getting it over 85, Ed - a chrome plated lever on
the side of the transmision tunnel. You pulled up on it a bit, pushed
in the button on the end, and pushed it down as far as it would go.
It's called a parking brake.

A stock Healey 100 would do just over 100 mph. The 100M would do
about 110, and the 100S a lot more. If yours topped out at 85 it was
sick, or you're confusing it with an MG or something else.

I'll take your word for it, John. I couldn't dispute it from my own limited
experience: even when I started playing with sports cars there were not many
original 100-4s around, and I never owned one, but the "100" designation for
a basic, stock 100-4 usually drew a snicker. It reminded me of what a top
Jaguar mechanic I knew once said about the "140" designation of the Jag
XK-140: "They must have faster roads in England." g

In higher states of tune the car could be a lot faster. Most of the ones I
encountered, among my racing/rally friends, had been warmed over pretty
good.

My best friend had a 3000 - one of the very few I've seen with disc
wheels and no overdrive. It also had no top, a 6" piece of plexiglass
for a windshield, and doors that were welded shut. It was quite a bit
faster than my 100, although we thought the 100 was almost as quick.

John Martin

--
Ed Huntress