[Healeys] Seat belt what?

[BJ8 Healeys]

"Earless" knockoffs were available as early as BJ7s, according to the BMC
parts manual, and so were not produced in response to the USA NTMVSA.
HBJ8L/25316 (built 6 - 13 Dec 63) and despatched to Germany, and HBJ8L/26359
(built 15 - 23 Apr 64 and despatched to Switzerland) are just two examples
of early BJ8s with octagonal knockoffs.  Although it isn't possible to
determine it from the parts manual, registry evidence suggests that all cars
for (at least) Germany and Switzerland had such knockoffs from the beginning
of BJ8 production.
 
One very interesting thing I have noticed from the mass of BMIHT data in the
BJ8 registry:  "Wire wheels (w/octagonal nuts)" were on cars for the USA
built as early as December 1964 - but ONLY on those that were dispatched to
Philadelphia.   Anybody have a clue why that should be?
 
Steve Byers
HBJ8L/36666
BJ8 Registry
Havelock, NC  USA
 
It was the NTMVSA that sounded the death knell for the big Healey.  Attempts
were made to bring the car into compliance (e.g. removal of the knock-off
ears
so that innocent pedestrians wouldn't be sliced to ribbons) but it just
wasn't
cost effective to do bumper and steering column mods.  Of course, that may
have been a BL smoke screen as the Healey at that point was already past
being
long in the tooth and BL probably wanted to concentrate on federalizing the
MGB and the "Healey replacement"  MGC.


Rick