[Healeys] Hundred Body Number Sequence

[Chris Dimmock]

Both.
See http://www.mgcars.org.uk/midgetspriteclub/MascNew/History/AustralianSprites.html
And
http://www.spriteclub.com/spridgets.php
Best
Chris

Sent from my iPhone

On 16/07/2011, at 5:10 AM, "Curt/Nancy Arndt" <cnaarndt at gmail.com>  
wrote:

> Chris,
>
> When you refer to Sprites built down under do you mean the Mk I or  
> was it the later square body cars?
>
> Curt
>
> On Fri, Jul 15, 2011 at 10:04 AM, Chris Dimmock <austin.healey at gmail.com 
> > wrote:
> Ok.
> Personally I love this detail, & I think I need to add some  
> Australian perspective here. ;-)
> Pressed Metal Corporation here in Australia were responsible for  
> part of the "local content" when BMC started building Sprites and  
> other BMC cars here in Australia.
> The first Sprite they built in Australia was given a body number  
> 501. That was in conformance with a BMC policy which was underpinned  
> by a customer satisfaction survey which dictated that no one ever  
> wanted to buy anything from BMC which wasn't properly tested, and  
> any number under 500 probably wasn't...
> Anyway, the first Sprite shell was 501.
> Many years later, we realised that the pressed metal corporation's  
> previous job was building 500 pressed steel coffins......
> Legend has it that PMC took the project, because they didn't even  
> have to reset the number stamps, and the tooling wasn't much  
> different to a Bugeye .....
> Before you flame, this is meant to be funny, and is based on some  
> historically bent facts! Ok ???
> So if you have a Bugeye with a body number less than 501 in  
> Australia....  Check your boot.
> ;-)
> Chris
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>
> On 16/07/2011, at 2:15 AM, "Rich Chrysler"  
> <richchrysler at quickclic.net> wrote:
>
> Gentlemen,
>
> The first 19 pre production cars were body numbers 1 through 19.  
> Then with
> the production cars Jensen assembled and painted the body shells and  
> sent
> the first 5 on a transporter over to the new Longbridge assembly  
> line. Last
> one on (Body 24) was first off the transporter and therefore first  
> one onto
> the assembly line. That became Longbridge Chassis number 138031, the  
> "first"
> car down the Longbridge line, though it was about 3 t 4 weeks before  
> it was
> actually done, due to constant adjusting and shuffling of the assembly
> process to make more sense and smoother flow of adding components,  
> etc.
>
> As things progressed and the gradual speeding up of the new line, with
> logistics being constantly adjusted and improved, they eventually  
> ended up
> with a number of transporters taking 5 body shells at a time over to
> Longbridge holding area. It is easy to imagine how the exacting body
> sequence numbers that left Jensen got mixed up coming off the  
> transporters
> in the Longbridge marshalling area. That is one of the many reasons  
> why the
> Body numbers fell out of sequence by the time a finished car came  
> off the
> Longbridge line.
>
> For instance in the Hundred Registry, we list Body 133 and Body 140  
> coming
> off the Longbridge finishing the same day (18 August 1953).  
> Meanwhile Body
> 156 came off the next day (19 August, 1953).
>
> Rich Chrysler
> Hundred Registrar
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: healeys-bounces at autox.team.net [mailto:healeys- 
> bounces at autox.team.net]
> On Behalf Of Curt/Nancy Arndt
> Sent: 2011-07-15 11:36
> To: David Nock
> Cc: healey list; Jim Cox; Mr. Finespanner
> Subject: Re: [Healeys] Kathy Wissig's AH 100
>
> David,
>
> I believe that's what I said...
> *
> "Blair Harbor's car, the first production AH with body no. 24..."*
>
> However I never heard about the switching at the loading and  
> unloading.  I
> assumed that Jensen would not discard the first 19 or 20  pre  
> production car
> numbers and restart  numbering with the production cars.  Anyone  
> else out
> there know about this, or have an opinion?
> Cheers,