<snip> (nothing noting **Special Rare Trunk Option by Order of HRM the
Queen**), <snip> That would be HRH the Queen? :-)
IMHO I can see no reason why this vehicle could not have been factory
vehicle modified after being on the assembly line. This would give 2 key
codes.
Vehicle Registration and Heritage build records should show who the first
vehicle owner was. If it went straight out to sale from the build date it
is very unlikely to be a factory mod. If it was a factory 'hack' it should
have been registered to the factory (although it was not unknown for 1
register entry to cover 2 or 3 vehicles) and they would probably keep it for
12 months or so.
My knowledge of the manufacturing process (in those days) would suggest that
bodywork modifications were done in the 'special ops' workshop after the
assembly line and a modification of this nature could have been given to one
of the more gifted apprentices to do. It would be rather rare to have a
line with a couple of odd-ball cars in the middle as Unions would probably
have had lots of things to say. I am aware of other vehicles being fully
built on the track and then taken to special ops and very nearly fully
dismantled for future production line modifications.
Whether this was ever done and if it was done to this vehicle has not been
confirmed by anything other than an owner who believes he has a reason
(financial?) to maintain his opinion. His opinion may be honestly felt if
he was told (or conned?) into believing it was a factory mod. The vehicle's
paper trail should give clues as to whether this was a factory job or not
and if the owner cannot supply the correct paper trail then I simply can not
believe him.
Guy R Day
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dan Gillitzer" <danginah@charter.net>
To: <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Sent: Sunday, January 14, 2007 2:49 AM
Subject: My take on eBay Bugeye w/trunk
>I agree it's really doubtful this is original. I do agree with Flounder
>that
> it certainly COULD have been done at John Thompson Motor Pressings, the
> body
> builder, and put into the flow of assembly. More likely the car was a
> receipient of an accessory add-on, it would be interestingto see an ad for
> the
> kit to match up the shape of the trunk and the L-handle latch. The inner
> structure of the lid looks a bit flim-flam, like an accesory builder would
> maybe make up. The label on the outer panel of the foot well is maybe a
> clue
> of who either made the kit or installed it (AEI in Clinton, MD), NO
> mention is
> made of that decal in the auction at all.
> I would tend to believe that it would be pretty tough to distinguish if
> this
> was an accessory or a "factory" job, if it were that rare the process
> would
> MORE than likely be identical anyways (cut hole, install outer frame,
> install
> hinges and brackets for latch, install deck lid). The factory quality of
> work
> back then could certainly be duplicated at any decent body shop at that
> time.
> Would certainly be hard to detect the difference at this point in time!
> Especially with THAT car!! I see in the pics that the decklid is even
> seperating, by I digress.
> Of course even if NO mention is made in the BMIHT certificate of the
> originality (nothing noting **Special Rare Trunk Option by Order of HRM
> the
> Queen**), you might be tipped off by the presence of TWO key codes, unless
> for
> some reason they keyed the ignition and trunk the same, this is not how it
> was
> on a Mk2 Sprite, unsure how this was done on other late 50's era Healeys,
> but
> worth thinking about that when viewing the certification.
> Dan
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