Spectacular 100M from VanDuesen
Among three Healey 100s that came from the Island for the VanDuesen show was this spectacular, restoration debut, 100M from owner Chris Yarrow.
This is what you could call a factory 100M which was shipped with competition features directly from the factory.
After subsequent purchase from the Daniel Doucette collection alongside a very original XK120, this 100M was restored by Rudi & Company with paint and body work by Coachwerks Automotive Restoration, chrome by Electroshine Metal Refinshers Ltd and upholstery by Tom Steger and Style’s Auto Upholstery.
Devil is in the details and Chris has gone to great lengths to get this car period correct.
I have great difficulty, as do several fellow club members, understanding how this car could have been restored by Rudi and Coachwerks for under $100 thousand dollars. Attention to detail costs, and this car looked to be better than it came out of the factory!
If was over $100,000, or under, that shouldn’t take away from the car (which is worth a lot more).
Club members were discussing the fact that this car has had two very expensive restorations, with even the second one being over $100,000. It would seem that the issues they had were that the current owner had it in the 50 to 100k category as a debuting restoration, and had displayed the car previously. Both issues would not seem to be in keeping with the rules of the ABFM, if true. A lovely perfect car, but one I would be afraid to drive!
Your facts are not correct. Under the current ownership, this car was never shown at a previous event prior to the ABFM in Vancouver.
The cost is correct as at the time of restoration I was an employee of Rudi and Co., therefore I received an employee rate. He is a personal friend of over 39 years.
This car under the last ownership, did under go a restoration, but having said that, it was done many years ago but not to the degree of this one.
This car is a driver.
I was not one of the 2 individuals who made the statements that were made, and I have no reason to understand why they would make false claims. I was surprised that they said what they did, and the fervour of their comments. They were also the ones who stated that the car had been shown by you at another event prior to the 2015 ABFM, not me.
I do know that the costs of restoring an Austin-Healey can quickly mount up. I am assuming that your new interior was custom made, not a kit? And I know from experience how expensive body and paint can be using Coachwerks. They do fantastic quality work, just like Rudi does. Chrome all done too! I think that you can understand why some might question how this restoration could come in under $100k. I will take you at your word,… but there is no way that I would consider your car to be just a “driver!”