Peter,
I'm appropriately shamed by your response. You are exactly right on this,
Thank you for the framkness and ernestness of your comments. You have kept
me on course. Now all I need is a supplier who can provide a new top
correct in every way and of an acceptable quality. The only supplier I've
found so far is Moss who lists the top in black. Are there others out
there? Another lister is also looking for the same top in it's original
gray color. Can someone help us find these tops?
Richard Bittmann BJ7
----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Svilans" <peter.svilans@rogers.com>
To: <healeys@autox.team.net>
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2006 7:31 AM
Subject: How big a deal in Concours
>I don't think the Concours Committee should be able to hand out Gold
> certificates to cars which aren't correct in areas which define the main
> characteristics of a given model.
>
> In the same way that an early BN 1 should have inconveniently weak "flat"
> wire
> wheel hubs, a Longbridge BN 4 should have the inconvenient fixed sliding
> roof
> bows, an early 3000 should have inconvenient un-servoed disc brakes, a BJ
> 7
> should have the correct top with its two back window latches and lack of
> rain
> gutter flap around the side windows which will inconveniently allow rain
> to
> run onto the occupants. This, as well as the distinguishing interior
> bits,
> are the chief characteristics of the BJ 7 model, which a Gold certificate
> should recognize and hold up as an example for following restorers.
>
> Each new model of Healey followed the previous one with a series of
> Improvements to increase performance or comfort. A Concours category is
> supposed to draw a very firm line at the end of that particular model
> category, in effect "freezing" it in time, and separating it from the next
> series of improvements introduced with the following model.
>
> The Gold certificate is supposed to be the guardian of the highest
> standards
> of originality. Otherwise there would be a 'fill in the blank' section at
> the
> bottom for the Exceptions- ie: "this is a Gold level BJ 7 except that it
> has
> a BJ 8 top on it". The other certificate levels are for this sort of
> thing.
>
> And you shouldn't be able to "fiddle it on points", ie: have really nice
> shiny
> top bows and braided cloth seals to make up the lost points for having a
> wrong
> top. Other categories on the judging sheet have an automatic deduction
> for a
> wrong item.
>
> The Concours judges take their job pretty seriously, and the title for
> this
> thread "hey, what's the big deal anyways" shows a casual attitude not in
> keeping with a Gold certificate. No doubt a lot of time has been spent on
> the
> car to bring it this far. Not going with the inconvenience of the extra
> money for the correct top, and that of reaching back and undoing two
> latches,
> almost implies that the Gold certificate will soon be the first thing
> waved in
> a potential buyers face.
>
> Best regards
> Peter
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