“Lucky Lady” The story of Karen’s 1963 Austin Healey BJ7

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At Sports & Classics, we know what it’s like to go through the struggles of a car restoration, and sometimes finding the inspiration to push on can be hard. But to us, cars are more than just a way of transportation. And much like people, every car has a story.

Here is the story our customer Karen sent us of her 1963 Austin Healey BJ7 that she likes to call “Lucky Lady”

It was April of 1971, using bribe money given by her mother for not smoking cigarettes, Karen purchased her first car, a 1963 Austin Healey 3000. She and her brother drove the car home with the exhaust system tied up with a rope. This Healey was definitely in need of some help. Luckily, aside from the usual rust spots, the body was straight with no accident damage.

Over the next four months, Karen and her brother quickly restored the car with a fresh paint job, engine rebuild, and new interior, just in time to take the car back to college for her senior year.

After two flat tires and having to drive through the night to combat the September heat, Karen’s Healey made it all the way from DC to her school in Texas with no serious issues. Karen enjoyed driving Lucky Lady, virtually trouble free during her last year at College.

In January of 1973, the unimaginable happened. Karen’s precious Healey was nearly totaled in a traffic accident after a driver had crossed over into her lane and smashed the front end of Lucky Lady.

Lucky Lady was tucked away and sat untouched for the next 40 years until Karen decided it was finally time to get her back on the road.

 

Karen had an extensive restoration performed, making Lucky Lady look and drive better than ever. Originality was important to Karen, using as many new old stock and original parts as she could get her hands on,

such as the shroud, hood, front fenders and grill with surround.The icing on the cake was when Karen’s Healey was accepted into the Atlanta Concours d’Elegance.

We’re not sure who the Lucky Lady really is, Karen or her BJ7![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1501280972597{border-top-width: 5px !important;border-right-width: 5px !important;border-bottom-width: 5px !important;border-left-width: 5px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;border-left-color: #dd9933 !important;border-left-style: solid !important;border-right-color: #dd9933 !important;border-right-style: solid !important;border-top-color: #dd9933 !important;border-top-style: solid !important;border-bottom-color: #dd9933 !important;border-bottom-style: solid !important;border-radius: 1px !important;}”]Have an inspirational story or project you would like to share with us? Send us an email, we’d love to hear it! [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]