Fourintune - Specializing in Austin Healey Restoration

Restoration Process

Inspection
Quotation
Options
Stage Payments
Chassis/Body
Mechanical/Paint
Trim/Assembly
Progress Photos
Transportation
Insurance

Since 1990, we have been providing customers with written quotations for the restoration of their Healeys. This section of our website will show the different stages of our restoration process - start to finish! Let us help you build the Healey of your dreams…

Our restoration process begins with a complete inspection. We try to start and drive cars that have been in storage for long periods of time.

PLEASE, don't disassemble your car thinking this will save you money!!! It is much easier to ship and quote a car accurately that is still together, even if it hasn't been on the road for years, than to look through boxes hoping nothing got lost.

We use a quotation form that is almost forty pages long that covers all aspects of the restoration project. When your Healey comes in, we use this form while we inspect and note which items can be saved, rebuilt or replaced. Labor is shown for each operation on the corresponding page. Some items are given allowances, such as an engine overhaul.

After disassembly and rebuild a final itemized bill is then done on the allowance items.

Prior to doing the quotation, we discuss with each owner how they want to use their car. Will it be shown in concours events, driven daily, only occasional use or out on racetracks at speed events? Each owner's personal preferences will determine which items may be optional and to what level originality must be retained.

After restoring 57 FAC, which was a factory built race car, we learned that we could implement a similar dual fuel pump system for street car restorations.

The later 3000 models had a BMC radio in the console which can be fit using modern day sound technology with only minor modifications.

With the completed quote form you will be able to see what your Healey needs, which items are optional and the cost of all parts and labor involved. Changes and additions that are made during the course of the restoration are recorded and shown on a final bill.

We require stage payments as work progresses. The initial 25% down payment locks you into our schedule. After reviewing the quotation, everyone has questions which we answer before the work is started. Options are finalized, and this determines the final price. If changes occur during the course of the restoration, we will work to satisfy each customer's needs and help them build the car of their dreams!

After your Healey is disassembled, the major decay is torched away prior the chassis being sandblasted to bare steel. It is very common for the main floors, toe boxes and side sills to be rusted away.

Years of experience doing body alignment has taught us the importance of proper chassis repair. Our two piece side sills are custom fabricated for us locally using a heavier gauge, paint-lock steel which strengthens the chassis and eliminates door sag. Geoff Healey endorsed this improvement when he saw our special sills.

A new trunk floor is clamped into position prior final welding. Good reproductions for steel components with the proper pressings are available. The entire body of the car will be installed as new steel is welded into the frame. Body panel repair is done at this time so all clearances can be adjusted if necessary. We are equipped to weld both steel and aluminum wherever necessary.

As we do the body panel repair, major trim is installed to insure a good fit.

After the chassis is painted, all mechanical work such as brakes, suspension, fuel, engine and transmission will be finished and trial run prior the body being installed for the final time.

Using your Healey's quote as our "build sheet," we repair all the mechanical aspects necessary with the best parts available. Decisions about reproduction vs. original parts are made during the quotation process depending on each owner's preferences.

Final assembly of each motor is done at Fourintune. Prior the installation of the front shroud and body panels, all mechanical systems are run and checked.

This BJ8 engine was completely rebuilt and is installed into the finished chassis for detailing and start-up.

Before the body is installed and final alignment determined, the inside of all body panels are primed and painted. Hours are spent filling, sanding, priming and blocking the car body before the final color can be applied.

After adequate dry-time, each job is wet-sanded and buffed using various compounds and polishes for a perfect finish.

Once the paint has been buffed out, all chrome trim is installed. Original parts can be rechromed or repro pieces are used - usually a combination of both.

We encourage original style interiors and use top quality reproduction panels, tops, carpet and trunk kits. We do not use kits on seats, but have local auto upholstery shops sew and install the new covers.

We help owners locate the materials that are the quality and color for exacting match to what was originally used.

A properly repaired chassis is required for excellent end results but final assembly is what shows. Tom Kovacs has almost 40 years of experience putting Healeys back together and his expertise is evident.

During the entire restoration process, you will receive photos of your car as the work is being done. We still send prints in the mail for your album but also email important "milestone" photos to keep you updated. It is important to keep the photos, quotation and appraisal as a record of what has been done to your car for documentation purposes and insurance valuation.

Most cars come to Fourintune via a commercial transporter. It is very rare for a Healey to be driven to us prior restoration, but many owners do fly in for an extended "test drive" after the restoration is complete. Many visit during a vintage race weekend at Road America - a premier road course just one hour north of Fourintune.

There are several national companies that have enclosed transporters for classic cars.
Free quotes are usually available online at the various websites. To learn more about the shipping process, read the text version of an article that appears in the Sept/Oct 2012 issue of “Vintage Motorsport” Magazine. Visit them at www.vintagemotorsport.com.

We can assist owners with insuring their classic throughout the restoration process. Our appraisals are usually written once the job is completed, but can also be done early on if your agent and company require one. Most classic car owners opt to use a "collector" company since they offer some of the best coverage for your dollar. One such company that we are familiar with is the Hagerty Collector Network based in Traverse City, MI. They offer "agreed value coverage" rather than replacement or market value which is ever changing in the collector market. If you would like a quote on your classic, contact them at www.hagerty.com

Read what our customers say... click here.

Remember the fun you had driving your Healey…long for it to feel like new again? At Fourintune, Healeys is what we do everyday. We don’t build spec cars, but work with individuals like yourself who either have a car or want help finding one. Contact us today and let’s discuss making your Healey “better than new!”