1965
Paintjob
Finished
The Austin-Healey 3000 is the third generation of the famous Austin-Healey 100, and is a highly regarded 4-seater (2+2) sports roadster worldwide. What makes it unique is the presence of two small rear seats in an open-top British sports car. Its 3-litre inline-six engine delivers strong performance, allowing for a spirited driving experience. The AH 3000 is such a legendary car that it hardly needs a lengthy introduction.
Restoring and refinishing this model presents unique challenges due to its mixed construction materials: The upper body panels are made of aluminium. The sides—including the doors and fenders—are steel.
In contrast to common construction methods, these outer steel panels act as reinforcement for the lightweight aluminium body. Before any paintwork could begin, extensive preparation was needed to fully clean the body and remove deep oxidation from the aluminium surfaces. Some panel work was also required.
From there, the process followed a precise sequence — The thoroughly cleaned body, inside and out, was primed with Standox Washprimer 1:1 two-component acid primer and Standox Non-Stop Füllprimer isolating filler primer. After the primers had cured, the filling, sanding, and further priming commenced.
For this project, we used Standox’s new-generation STANDOBLUE waterborne basecoat, achieving an outstanding result. The car was then double clear-coated with Standox’s new VOC 2K clear, producing a world-class finish.
In the spring of 2013, the car was showcased at the Lahti Classic Car Show in Finland, and it’s safe to say it was one of the highlights of the exhibition.
Perfectly finished with a tasteful colour choice, this classic British sports car left no one indifferent. A couple of our Finnish friends called us during the show, urging us to come and see an “unbelievably well-painted Healey.” We went over and found ourselves face-to-face with a car we had restored. It gave us a good laugh.
08 Aug 2011
