AN ADVENTURE EVERYTIME YOU GET IN IT
Don Deveer is a Navy Veteran who bought this car while he was stationed in Seattle in 1984. He traded a two-year old Honda Civic in on it. “I bought the Civic cause it was cheap and new, but it was boring. This car, however, is an adventure every time you get in it.”
It’s been driven up and down both coasts, across the country and even to Canada. After 1988, Don found himself needed a more practical daily driver, but the Healey remained an active second car until about 2003 we he started a restoration on it himself.
That unfortunately stalled out when his job with Ford sent him to Germany for a few years and the Healey to a storage facility. When he returned stateside his wife suggested he get some help, so in 2013 he enlisted a pro to bring the car back to its original glory.
It was a dark red color when it bought the car, “I knew that wasn’t an original Austin Healey color so I had it painted British Racing Green.” But when he got documentation from the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust he found out the original color was Healey Blue, thought without white accent color. “I knew this color scheme was a factory option, so I chose to restore the car with the white. We also carried that into the interior with the piping.”
Another thing Don educated me about is “Healey Hot Foot”. “These cars were designed to be right-hand drive, so the exhaust runs under the left side. Let me tell you, in Arizona, that doesn’t not make for a comfortable drive.” Don goes on to say that the restorer used more modern insulation under the floor to help relieve the condition, “Now, it’s just warm.”
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