<html><body>You can, for sure, bet that the guys who cut and applied all those asbestos panels to our Healeys are long gone. I found the best substitute for those hairy items is 5/16" HardiPlank soffit material-which also should be used carefully when cutting; using a mask and gloves and eye protection as well-but it does not flake off and looks original.<div><br></div><div>I lost two brother-in-laws, who were both in the Navy, to that...working in the boiler room. There is a super fund to pay off the surviving families, but wives of the victims could get it just doing the laundry! Hank<br><br><div class="reply-new-signature"></div><p>-----------------------------------------</p>From: "Bob Spidell" <bspidell@comcast.net><br>To: healeys@autox.team.net<br>Cc: <br>Sent: Thursday January 14 2021 10:02:18AM<br>Subject: Re: [Healeys] asbestos lookalike insulation sheet<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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.<br><br><br><div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 1/14/2021 8:42 AM, <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated">m.g.sharp@sympatico.ca</a>
wrote:<br></div>
<blockquote>
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Cheers, Mirek</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p>
<div>
<div style="border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1pt;padding:3pt 0cm 0cm 0cm;">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="en-us">From:</span></b>
<span lang="en-us">Healeys <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"><healeys-bounces@autox.team.net></a>
<b>On Behalf Of</b> Jean Caron<br><b>Sent:</b> January 14, 2021 11:16 AM<br><b>To:</b> <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated">simon.lachlan@alexarevel.plus.com</a>;
'Perry Small' <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"><healeyguy@aol.com></a><br><b>Cc:</b> <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated">healeys@autox.team.net</a><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Healeys] asbestos lookalike insulation
sheet</span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">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.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jean</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sent from <a href="https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986">Mail</a> for Windows 10</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<div style="border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1pt;padding:3pt 0cm 0cm 0cm;">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> <a>simon.lachlan@alexarevel.plus.com</a><br><b>Sent:</b> January 14, 2021 8:47 AM<br><b>To:</b> <a>'Perry Small'</a><br><b>Cc:</b> <a>healeys@autox.team.net</a><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Healeys] asbestos lookalike insulation
sheet</p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12pt;">Thank you to
everyone regarding the sheet.<br>
I gave it a gentle pry, per Perry's advice, and then one rather
less gentle.<br>
It just popped off. Intact and without cracking or breaking.<br>
I wonder if it is asbestos. It looked to be in really good
condition, but it<br>
was there when I bought the car back in '96.<br>
Anyhow, I was able to easily put the slide's 3 T-nuts in and
reinstall the<br>
sheet. All suitably masked of course.<br>
Simon<br><br>
-----Original Message-----<br>
From: Perry Small <<a>healeyguy@aol.com</a>><br>
Sent: 11 January 2021 19:11<br>
To: <a>simon.lachlan@alexarevel.plus.com</a><br>
Cc: <a>healeys@autox.team.net</a><br>
Subject: asbestos lookalike insulation sheet<br><br>
Simon<br>
Notice the square blocks attached to the big sheet. They have been
known to<br>
bond themselves to the bottom of the floor pan. Gentle pry them
loose.<br>
Perry<br><br><br></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<br></bspidell@comcast.net></div></body></html>