[Healeys] asbestos lookalike insulation sheet

Jean Caron vintage_roadster_restoration at hotmail.com
Thu Jan 14 13:56:34 MST 2021


There is a small city in Quebec called Asbestos and they used to have an open mine there, not closed. You can see it on Google map, it is located south east of Montreal.

Jean

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From: Bob Spidell<mailto:bspidell at comcast.net>
Sent: January 14, 2021 12:02 PM
To: healeys at autox.team.net<mailto:healeys at autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: [Healeys] asbestos lookalike insulation sheet

Steve McQueen (the actor) died of mesothelioma. Urban legend says he contracted it from working in a brake shop--Healey content: I believe he campaigned a Sprite for a while--but it's more likely he got it in the Navy. True to character, he was a 'bad boy' and for punishment was assigned to clean up parts of the ships that were insulated with asbestos. It wasn't an intentional death sentence; it was before the dangers of asbestos were widely known.

I caught a news item years ago about a city in Russia that got its entire revenue from a nearby asbestos mine. The city is mostly abandoned now, for good reason, but a few stragglers stuck aroun. One was an octogenarian who had worked in the mine most of his life but never got sick from it. Do they have lotteries in Russia? If so, he should buy a ticket.

On 1/14/2021 8:42 AM, m.g.sharp at sympatico.ca<mailto:m.g.sharp at sympatico.ca> wrote:
I believe it is a bit more than just “dust” as if you were cutting it.  Asbestos is fiberous and the fibres are composed of microscopic components that will shed with any abrasion, even simple handling.  The microscopic fibrils become airborne and are easily inhaled.  They can also adhere to your skin and clothing and be transferred later, after the job is finished.  I am no expert, but suspect a short, once-in-a-lifetime exposure are probably not a risk, but why take even a small risk when exposure is easily prevented.

What worries me is when I look back to when I was a kid working in a gas station in the 60s and when the mechanics did a brake job, the first thing they did after removing the brake drums was take an air hose and blow the brake dust off the shoes and backing plate etc.  Of course brake material had asbestos fibres in it back then and these clouds of black asbestos-filled dust would fill the shop for us all to enjoy.

Cheers, Mirek

From: Healeys <healeys-bounces at autox.team.net><mailto:healeys-bounces at autox.team.net> On Behalf Of Jean Caron
Sent: January 14, 2021 11:16 AM
To: simon.lachlan at alexarevel.plus.com<mailto:simon.lachlan at alexarevel.plus.com>; 'Perry Small' <healeyguy at aol.com><mailto:healeyguy at aol.com>
Cc: healeys at autox.team.net<mailto:healeys at autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: [Healeys] asbestos lookalike insulation sheet

I have always been told that it is the dust of asbestos that is dangerous, not the board itself. I recall many years ago helping a friend with these on his Austin-Healey and he was totally afraid of even removing these panels, he was wearing a mask, and then a shield and gloves, that’s even before they had these “hazmat” suits. Meanwhile he smoked a pack to a pack and half of cigarettes daily which eventually and unfortunately took his life.

Jean

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From: simon.lachlan at alexarevel.plus.com<mailto:simon.lachlan at alexarevel.plus.com>
Sent: January 14, 2021 8:47 AM
To: 'Perry Small'<mailto:healeyguy at aol.com>
Cc: healeys at autox.team.net<mailto:healeys at autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: [Healeys] asbestos lookalike insulation sheet

Thank you to everyone regarding the sheet.
I gave it a gentle pry, per Perry's advice, and then one rather less gentle.
It just popped off. Intact and without cracking or breaking.
I wonder if it is asbestos. It looked to be in really good condition, but it
was there when I bought the car back in '96.
Anyhow, I was able to easily put the slide's 3 T-nuts in and reinstall the
sheet. All suitably masked of course.
Simon

-----Original Message-----
From: Perry Small <healeyguy at aol.com<mailto:healeyguy at aol.com>>
Sent: 11 January 2021 19:11
To: simon.lachlan at alexarevel.plus.com<mailto:simon.lachlan at alexarevel.plus.com>
Cc: healeys at autox.team.net<mailto:healeys at autox.team.net>
Subject: asbestos lookalike insulation sheet

Simon
Notice the square blocks attached to the big sheet. They have been known to
bond themselves to the bottom of the floor pan. Gentle pry them loose.
Perry



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