Peter
Hey... I resent the insunuation my BJ8 is a potato!
Cheers,
Alan
'53 BN1 '64 BJ8
On 8/31/05, Peter Svilans <peter.svilans@rogers.com> wrote:
>
> Hi Doug,
>
> We're talking about two separate things .
>
> An "option" or "factory option" is something with an official Austin part
> number that could be added to your car by the Austin Motor Company when
> the
> order was placed with the dealership.
>
> Then there were the aftermarket "extras". The Donald Healey Motor Company
> was a privately-owned company, a separate entity from Austin's. They
> offered
> a list of "Extra Equipment and Modifications" for the cars sold by Austin,
> but
> there was no direct relationship. The money for these "Extras" went into
> the
> Healeys' pocket, not Austin's. These items did not have Austin part
> numbers,
> but numbers used by the component suppliers like Smith's. (The ammeter was
> 36047)
>
> On page 46, under "Options, Extras and Accessories" Clausager first
> describes the factory-fitted options. Towards the bottom, beginning with
> the
> LeMans kit, he goes into the items available separately from the Healey
> Company at Warwick (including the list with the ammeter), and then further
> into the stuff that was available from the US aftermarket people.
>
> After you bought your car from Austin, you would then take it to Healey's
> in Warwick, much like you would take your new Mercedes to Brabus, to have
> modifications done or extras fitted. To put things in perspective, there
> was
> NOT a long line of cars snaking from Longbridge to Warwick. The ammeter
> would
> have been fitted at Warwick. No doubt, if the sale hinged on the fact that
> the potential customer really wanted one, the local Austin dealer could
> have
> installed it as well, but this is the sort of thing that special
> documentation
> would be required for. The 100-S position would be good....
>
> My point with this entire thread on special options is that DHMC-modified
> cars are MUCH, MUCH rarer than the thousands that rolled off the Austin
> lines
> like potatoes. If there were documentation for a Warwick-fitted ammeter,
> the
> car would immediately be recognized as having something very special.
> Otherwise, ...well... much of the 1980's were spent removing V-8's,
> fiberglass
> fenders, and welding up extra holes in dashboards.
>
> Best regards
> Peter
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