Patrick,
<< Westland did not make the chassis >>
Geoffrey Healey, in The Healey Story p.35 outlines how five serious faults
were apparent in the early production chassis. The rectification
modifications were to have been made but Roger Menadue found that this had not
been done, apparently put off till the next production series of chassis:
" DMH was very annoyed and sent Len (Hodges) down to Westland Aero Parts, WHO
MADE THE CHASSIS, with instructions not to return until all modifications had
been incorporated. The next task was to recall all the cars already built to
Warwick and modify them to the same standard without alarming the owners."
Its my understanding that Westland Aero Parts supplied the basic chassis which
was built up with suspensions and Riley motors at the Cape, in the same way
that Thompsons provided the basic rails to Jensen, who added the bulkheads and
body, and then were assembled with suspensions and motors at Austins.
Somewhere there is a reference to Peter Shelton of Westlands in Hereford
stating that DMH had given him the contract to continue supplying chassis to
the Cape despite many other bodybuilders now being used, as a reward for his
early support of the Healey company. Maybe it was in a link in the "history"
portion of the hideous fiberglass 1958 "Westland" for sale a while back, I
can't quite remember.
There is no doubt that the Cape had the facilities for producing their own
chassis (with their 8 foot brake) in prototype and experimental (types A,B and
C) form, but once production of hundreds of cars got underway, this was farmed
out.
Best regards
Peter
_______________________________________________
Support Team.Net http://www.team.net/donate.html
Healeys@autox.team.net
http://autox.team.net/mailman/listinfo/healeys
http://www.team.net/archive
|