[Healeys] paint Austin Healey

Ken Wignall ourxke at hotmail.com
Mon Apr 14 16:49:07 MDT 2008


Back in the late 70's there was a good sized Healey meet at the 'Inn on the
Park' in Toronto. Guests of honor- Donald and Geoff Healey. In discussions,
with limited time, each of us was allowed  to address one question to them
both. This was the time when different suppliers were first beginning to list
'original colour engine paint' for sale, at over inflated prices for the day.
I was doing over a car, and the engine was needing to be cleaned up so I asked
Donald if there was a standard  colour that they used in production for the
engine? He referred the reply for Geoff to answer as he was more hands on with
the day to day  production issues. Geoff simply said that in the early days of
production there were still many shortages in post-war Britain and to date the
higher heat  metal paints were still in rather short supply as many suppliers
stocks had been depleted. He said they simply aquired whatever stocks they
could purchase and in many instances blended different stocks together to
aquire a varying semblance of green as a goal. They never established a set
colour- it was the 50's and in those times they used what they could get. He
said they continued this practise of supply and demand for many years, and
that was it. I do recall him saying that it was easiest to find shades of grey
left over from navy surpluses then and to use them for blending with others.

Ken Wignall

60 Bugeye
61 BT7, tri carb, side shift, Colorado Red with red trim
54 (Jan. 27) BN1, Coronet Cream with red trim> From:
robert.w.johnson at charter.net> To: healeys at autox.team.net> Date: Mon, 14 Apr
2008 13:31:22 -0400> Subject: Re: [Healeys] paint Austin Healey> > If it is
engine paint, then that would be better.> > Bob Johnson> BJ8> > > > No, No,
NO...I believe this thread Norman Nock wrote about below is > > regarding the
engine paint, not the exterior paint.> >> > Not to say that some of the
exterior paint shades didn't vary over time, > > so what we Concours judges
allow is "a reasonable attempt at accuracy".> >> So, a rose by any other name
is still a rose and for Healeys BRG in any> >> shade is still BRG. Or OEW or
Healey Blue or MGB or...> >> So much for "correct". What does this do for
concours guidelines?> >>> >> Bob Johnson> >> BJ8 that is some shade of BRG>
>>> >>> Geoff. Healey told me .." When we ran out of paint> >>> we ordered it
from any supplier who had a 55 gallon> >>> drum in stock , so Healey colours
are not ALL THE SAME> >>> " Hope this answers your question about correct> >>>
colours ... Norma Nock> _______________________________________________>
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