Truth or story?

[Steppenwolf]

My first "sport car" was a 1967 AH 3000.

I noticed that my car had a few differences that at first I didn't like: Octagon wheel nut, Silver wings on the nose instead of red porcelain filled wings or whatever it is, and a few other little things that I was later told were treatments for the last 100 AH3000's sent to America. In 68 the safety standards killed it inn this country. I was further told that those last 100 would in any other year been designated with the date for the next model year making those last 100 AH's really 1968 models.

Well since I owned one I liked that story but never found out if it was true.

Isn't it possible to find out the VN numbers for the last 100 AH's?

Any help or feedback with this story would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[BigGreen]

Interesting, mine is from April 1967 and had the silver wings without red
Just swapped them a month ago :-( Maybe I must ask them back then ....

 

[Patrick67BJ8]

Interesting, mine is from April 1967 and had the silver wings without red
Just swapped them a month ago :-( Maybe I must ask them back then ....

Contact Steve Byers of the BJ8 Registry and he can probably help you with the front badge info on what vin # started with painted front badges. My BJ8 came from the Northeast and the PO swapped out the octagon knock-offs with "eared" ones. I have both sets. I believe there was a safety law concerning the knock-offs and I'm not to sure if the law was just regional or national and when it started.

 

[Rob Glasgow]

I'm not sure if the ban on "eared"knock offs was national or not but I remember seeing the octagon versions on a Healey in the dealer's showroom in Santa Barbara, CA in 1967. I didn't like the looks of them then but now see them as a record of how safety laws have changed. Kind of like seeing a car without seat belts.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

On that topic, are there any documented cases of eared knockoffs actually causing injury (besides Isadora Duncan, whose scarf was caught in an 'open wheel;' not necessarily the knockoff, but it's certainly possible)? Seems to me that anyone standing close enough to a moving car to get hit by a knockoff has other issues; and wearing a long scarf in an open car is pretty dang stupid for a number of reasons, IMO (I'm saving my silk scarf for my first ride in a Stearman).

 

[BigGreen]

@ Patrick, Thanks I'll scan my certificate and e-mail it to him.
Mine was originaly Golden Beige Metallic like yours ;-)

Hans

 

[Editor_Reid]

Yes, those are characteristics of late BJ8s. I've never heard a precise figure attached to the number made that way and would seriously doubt that it was any kind of planned change applied to only "the last 100."

More likely, the front badges lacked the cloisonne or red paint simply because they were using up stock on a model that they knew was being discontinued and so why go to the extra trouble and expense? By the way, in my travels I have collected at least two such front badges - each without any trace of red paint - and so I really doubt that they were all that rare.

I don't know if the octagonal knock-offs were used because of a new law or regulation - certainly never heard of it - or if it was simply again a case of using up existing stocks on a model that was being discontinued. Cars exported to the continent had had octagonal knock-offs for some time and so perhaps BMC had a large stock of those remaining when they ran out of "earred" knock-offs and just used them up as the last BJ8s were made.

Of course I'm just making educated guesses and Steve Byers, the BJ8 Registry guy, could likely provide actual data (although note that while the factory records and Steve's records may specify octagonal knock-offs on certain cars in his registry, they would not indicate why, so really the records will only tell you what, not why).

 

[tahoe healey]

You can thank Ralph Nader for the lack of knock-off ears. British cars and even Corvettes had to change them. I guess if you ran over someone you might catch their scarf or tie but that would be the least of their problem.

 

[HealeyRick]

The Motor Vehicle Safety Standards took effect on 1/1/68 and prohibited the use of eared knock-offs.They had already been outlawed in Germany and 1968 U.S. models of Jags and MGs sported the octagonal center nut. Since Healeys were out of production by 1/1/68, it was not as a result of any legal requirement the knock-offs weren't used on the last cars. I wonder if it was simply a case of them not being manufactured since Abingdon would be switching over to the octagonal ones for the '68 cars?

 

[Bruce Bowker]

On that topic, are there any documented cases of eared knockoffs actually causing injury (besides Isadora Duncan, whose scarf was caught in an 'open wheel;' not necessarily the knockoff, but it's certainly possible)? Seems to me that anyone standing close enough to a moving car to get hit by a knockoff has other issues; and wearing a long scarf in an open car is pretty dang stupid for a number of reasons, IMO (I'm saving my silk scarf for my first ride in a Stearman).

A lot of these "safety" requirements were more to keep imports out of the US or make them a lot more expensive.

 

[Steppenwolf]

Did your car have the octagon knock offs?

I forgot to mention that the spoke count on the wheels went up to 60 on the later models.

 

[Steppenwolf]

I don't think that the knock offs can just be swapped out without changing the spline hub because the thread pattern is different; at least they were on mine.

I didn't mind the look after a while. I played with colored drums on the rear and calipers on the front.

I also discovered 72 spoke wheel which came on the MGC. I tried chrome ones but didn't like it as much as the painted.

 

[Steppenwolf]

What model is your Healey Reid?

Is the BJ8 registry guy a member here?

I'd really like to know about the vin's

as someone else pointed out it was Nader who killed the Healey.

 

[Steppenwolf]

If the law took place in Jan 68 how come the 67's had them already? Almost positive that the MGB's had "eared" knock off's in 67 and so did the TR's 4A I believe.

California had regulations before anyone else so it might have been a Cal thing in 67.

 

[Patrick67BJ8]

On that topic, are there any documented cases of eared knockoffs actually causing injury (besides Isadora Duncan, whose scarf was caught in an 'open wheel;' not necessarily the knockoff, but it's certainly possible)? Seems to me that anyone standing close enough to a moving car to get hit by a knockoff has other issues; and wearing a long scarf in an open car is pretty dang stupid for a number of reasons, IMO (I'm saving my silk scarf for my first ride in a Stearman).

A lot of these "safety" requirements were more to keep imports out of the US or make them a lot more expensive.

I don't believe it was to keep import cars out. I recall the Mustang hubcaps with their big knock-oof style. Corvair had them too on the Spyders.

 

[Steppenwolf]

Just found this dity on an auction site:

According to factory records, HBJ8U / 43007-G was shipped from the factory in the UK to Charleston, South Carolina on January 16, 1968. Austin Healey BJ-8 Registrar Steve Buyers states “43007 can legitimately lay claim to be the last BJ-8 sent to the USA”!

 

[Steppenwolf]

One more piece of rambling from cars for sale:

With the serial number ending in 42430, it is less than 600 cars away from the end of the entire production line for 3000 MK III healeys, according to the registry.

 

[Editor_Reid]

What model is your Healey Reid?

The one in my signature photo is a 1956 100, series BN2.

Is the BJ8 registry guy a member here?

I'm not really sure, but he is Steve Byers and you can reach him at: sbyers@ec.rr.com

as someone else pointed out it was Nader who killed the Healey.

Ralph didn't help anything, but the demise of the Big Healey was more complicated than just Ralph Nader.

 

[Steppenwolf]

What model is your Healey Reid?

The one in my signature photo is a 1956 100, series BN2.

She is a beauty!.

There is something about the windshield that I though was associated with one model of the 100 series ( 100/4 LeMans? )

It's been so long since I was in the club and around Healey's and Healey talk so I have to ask.

Is yours modified/customized in any way? It either doesn't have a front bumper or perhaps it has those little ones that I recall seeing on a few cars back in my club days.

In any event it is sweet looking!

 

[Patrick67BJ8]

Just found this dity on an auction site:

According to factory records, HBJ8U / 43007-G was shipped from the factory in the UK to Charleston, South Carolina on January 16, 1968. Austin Healey BJ-8 Registrar Steve Buyers states “43007 can legitimately lay claim to be the last BJ-8 sent to the USA”!

I once saw 43006 and it had been in a fender bender and the owner at that time had changed out the front shroud with a shroud from an earlier car. At least this is how I remember it 37 years ago.