[Healeys] Help with BT7/ How many Healeys ?

[Peter Svilans]

My BN6, built August 1958, has overdrive listed in Details of Equipment but no
"O" in the car/ chassis number.

A parts car BN4, built March 1959,  also has overdrive listed in Details of
Equipment but it does have an "O" in the car/ chassis number.

Both Heritage Certificates (from "BL Heritage Ltd") cost one pound each and
were signed by Anders Clausager himself.

Bought my BN6 in April 1971 for the grand sum of $200.  A naive kid of 21 at
the time, I imagined I'd be driving it around before my next birthday.
Unrealistic expectations aside, my excitement and enthusiasm knew no bounds.
Ate and slept Healey.  Total immersion in Healey lore, history, originality,
meeting interesting Healey people (thanks Rich), attending events etc. while
restoring the car and commuting to university in my wire-wheel '66 Spridget.
Geoff and Donald gave it the "OK" at our Conclave Canada '80 on their first
trip overseas for a club event.  Drove it all over the US in the '80's and
'90's, with our young kids sleeping in a crib transversely behind the seats
snug under the 2-seater shroud.  But after a gearbox problem and other
distractions, it deteriorated in barn storage and is now in need of a
re-restoration.

The BN4 parts car was bought because its 26D motor had a triple-carb setup.
This was rather curious as it didn't look at all like friend Rich's Mk II
Tricarb.   It had "Ruddspeed" cast into the manifolds.

41 years on, still have the BN6 and carbs, but couldn't interest anyone in the
BN4 so it went for scrap (painful, as I've never sold anything Healey).

Looking back, it is shocking how much the Healey had deteriorated over only 13
years of (ab)use from '58 to '71.  Bashed and rusted out, aluminum corrosion,
interior in shreds, cracked frame, and an internally cracked engine block (not
discovered until after the rebuild when the radiator oozed mocha cream).  But
as a young Healey owner, I was king of the world.

Best regards
Peter