[Healeys] BJ8 at RM Hershey auction

Wed Oct 17 15:27:39 MDT 2018

So does my Mk II BT7 centre-shifter, on top of the RF shock tower (under the
shock-absorber) - January 1962 

Mark

Ardmore, NZ

  _____  

From: Charlie Baldwin [mailto:mgcharlie at comcast.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, 17 October 2018 11:20 a.m.
To: i erbs
Cc: Ahealey help
Subject: Re: [Healeys] BJ8 at RM Hershey auction

My BT7 Mk. II has a number on the shock tower, but it isn't the chassis
number.

On 10/16/2018 1:30 PM, i erbs wrote:

BT7 3000s did not have the # stamped on the shock towers. 

Ira Erbs 

Portland,OR

      _______                                  _______
     (______ \____1959 BN4____/ _______)
         (_________________________)

          BT7 engine and disk brakes

1967 MGB   MG
<http://www.britishcarspecialists.com/assets/images/MG_emblem.jpg> 

A racing car is an animal with a thousand adjustments. Mario Andretti

Please excuse random auto corrects and misspelled words

On Tue, Oct 16, 2018 at 10:07 AM Charlie Baldwin <mgcharlie at comcast.net>
wrote:

>From what I understand, earlier 3000s have a number stamped there, but it
doesn't match any other other number on the car, but BJ8s do have the
chassis number there.

On 10/15/2018 8:06 PM, Curtis Arndt wrote:

So Charlie, 

Yes, 3000s should have the chassis number stamped on the right front shock
tower. 

To be clear, Phase I BJ8's (1964) looked very similar to BJ7's.  They had
glass "Beehive" front parking/side and rear stop lights, reflectors, the
pull versus the push-button door handles and the lower rear axle.  They DID
have the wood dash and of course the larger engine making them BJ8s not
BJ7s.

Here's a nice example in Black w/red interior...  

https://www.erclassics.com/austin-healey-3000-bj8-1964-a0747/#lg=1
<https://www.erclassics.com/austin-healey-3000-bj8-1964-a0747/#lg=1&slide=13
> &slide=13

Now Phase II BJ8's came in a number of variations.  When they first came out
in 1964-5 they now had the single plastic lights front and rear with the
reflectors, the jacked up rear end, and push button door handles.

Here's another nice example in Black w/red interior...

https://rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/mo17/auction/lots/r169-1964-austin-healey
-3000-mk-iii-bj8-phase-ii

In '66 and '67 we have the final version with all plastic lights, two front
and two rear.

One final example in Black over Red w/ a red interior...

https://www.tradeuniquecars.com.au/detail/austinhealey-3000-544721

This should clear things up.

Cheers,

Curt

On Mon, Oct 15, 2018 at 3:49 PM Charlie Baldwin <mgcharlie at comcast.net>
wrote:

So Curt, you may be saying that this car does not match what a car with that
chassis number should look like.  Don't BJ8s have the chassis number stamped
on the right front shock mount?  So it may be titled with the wrong chassis
number.  That is a greater concern to me than being the wrong color or
having poorly fitting seat covers.  The poorly stamped chassis number plate
could be part of the issue also.

When I saw it on the screen when it came up for auction, I thought that it
probably isn't really a '65 due to the double parking/ts lights.  Then I
figured it was just an error on the year they put on the title.  But this is
much more serious an issue since the chassis number does not indicate it is
a Phase 2 BJ8, when it definitely looks like one.

Charlie

On 10/15/2018 1:04 PM, Curtis Arndt wrote:

FWIW...

Obviously, there are some issues with this car.   

Regarding the seats, I agree, the fit is terrible and that also brings up
another issue in that the vast majority of US delivered convertibles came
with vinyl interiors, and it was a very rare option to have leather seats. I
don't know the percentage off the top of my head, but it may have been less
than 5%.  I will check.

For me the biggest potential issue is that this car is supposedly a 1965
(chassis no. 30659), and as such it would have had the single plastic side
lights up front and also in the rear, with reflectors instead of the second
set of amber plastic turn signal lights?  

>From the 2018 Guidelines...

<BJ8s from Car No. 26705 have a single front parking/turn flasher unit with
a white plastic lens that is larger and flatter in profile (Lucas type 692),
up through Phase II BJ8 (C) 31337 (B) 76137.

Rear combination tail/turn signal/brake lights with a single beehive-shaped
red lens, on the fender just above the bumper, were used on all Healeys up
to Phase II BJ8 Car No. 31336 (B) 76138 (type 594 on 100-6 and 3000s to c.
26704).  With that car, the upper reflectors were replaced with separate
turn-signal lights (with a larger body fairing) and amber plastic lenses and
the lower lights were replaced  with tail/brake lights with red plastic
lenses. Both upper and lower lights on these later cars were Lucas type 692
through the end of production.>

Did anyone else notice in the very first photo the right front wing wheel
opening?  The metal work looks a bit inconsistent and the opening is not
consistently round? Compare to the right rear wheel opening.  Maybe it's the
angle of the photo, I don't know?  The left front opening looks much better.

All this said, it's easy to pick a car apart and overall, any criticisms can
be repaired, albeit at a cost, but then the high bid of $67.5K may reflect
these observations. It is an overall good looking car none the less, even
with its flaws.

Cheers,

Curt

On Mon, Oct 15, 2018 at 8:45 AM Charlie Baldwin <mgcharlie at comcast.net>
wrote:

Steve, I'm glad you have it in the registry.
Someone told me on Saturday at the Hershey car show that it was restored
there, but I didn't know for sure, so didn't want to credit/blame them.
It appears that leather seat covers were installed, but not very well as
someone else mentioned.

> On October 15, 2018 at 9:11 AM BJ8Healeys <sbyers at ec.rr.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> Charlie Baldwin:  strange that I never received your original message via
the list (yet).
> 
> Yes, I have the car in the registry.  One previous owner recorded in New
Hampshire (AHCA member 1990 - 1999), then restoration by Knut Holzer's BMC
Classics in April 2008.
> 
> Steve Byers
> HBJ8L/36666
> BJ8 Registry
> AHCA Delegate at Large
> Havelock, NC  
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Healeys [mailto:healeys-bounces at autox.team.net] On Behalf Of Bob
Spidell
> Sent: Sunday, October 14, 2018 12:44 PM
> To: healeys at autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: [Healeys] BJ8 at RM Hershey auction
> 
> Not MGB, but 'champagne.'  Was that an original color?  This one came 
> from the factory in white; maybe that's why it didn't sell?
> 
> Not the best seat upholstery I've seen, and is the shift lever bent, or 
> is it an illusion?  And the fluid reservoir spoils an otherwise nice 
> engine bay presentation.  Nice car, nonetheless.
> 
> Bob
> 
> 
> On 10/14/2018 8:17 AM, Charlie Baldwin wrote:
> > Here is a Metallic Golden Beige BJ8 that was in the auction, but 
> > apparently didn't make reserve.  I think the hammer price was 
> > $67,500.  Comments anyone?  Steve Byers, is this one in your register?
> >
> >
https://rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/hf18/hershey/lots/r0137-1965-austin-heale
y-3000-mk-iii-bj8/721386 
> >
> >
> 
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