swage line on 100

[red57]

Hi all,

This has probably been asked/answered somewhere on this forum but I came up dry when I tried searching.

I am working on a '53 BN1 that does not have the swage line on the rear portion of the rear fenders and I am wondering when they changed to the swage line running across the rear portion. Not planning to change this BN1, just something I never noticed before and became curious.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[mjobrien]

Dave,


53-55 were all BN1's and had the line stop at the front of the wheel well. On the BN2 in model year 56, on about July/Aug 55 they extended the line to the back. I have heard there we some BN1's that did leave with the change but not sure of this fact or fiction.....

Michael.

 

[red57]

Michael,

Thanks, I sort of thought that was the case but I have seen pictures of a couple of '55 100-S models with the line on the rear portion and that made me wonder if the change happened earlier.

Thanks again,
Dave

 

[zblu]

This is my 53 Nov build,shows the correct lines, all original panels and numbers

 

[zblu]

red57,
just as a matter of note, the front wheel arch clearance changed at some time in the BN1 run,got the dimension check somewhere if you need it, depending on the body number you have

 

[Editor_Reid]

I'm on the run at the moment and so do not have time to check my reference library, but I want to try to avoid this thread including too much incorrect info and will say that I think that some checking will reveal that:

1. The "continued swage line" occurred <span style="font-style: italic">within</span> BN1 production, and not at the changeover to the BN2. Later BN1s had the continued swage line. The lack of the swage line rear of the rear wheel opening is a characteristic of the early BN1s.

2. The increased front wheel opening did occur at the changeover point from BN1 to BN2, or very, very near it. While there will always be a few rare exceptions and some cars that had their wings (fenders) changed early in their lives, the increased opening size <span style="font-style: italic">is</span> a BN2 characteristic.

 

[mjobrien]

Reid,

Thanks for the clarification, I did this from memory but will check the reference book I have as well.

Michael.

 

[healeynut]

My '53 August BN1 doesn't have the rear fender swage line and the lower fender openings.... it's awesome!

 

[Michael Oritt]

My car was built December 1954 with the smaller front fender cuts and no line aft of the rear wheels.

 

[d_valentino]

My '55 BN2 is an early BN2, around the 500th made. It does not have the swag line past the rear tires.

 

[roscoe]

I have no idea if there is any truth to it, but I was told a while ago by someone that there might have been a few cars produced that had one of each type of rear wing. As any paint shop will tell you when you start noting flaws, you can't see both sides of the car at the same time.

 

[Randy Forbes]

I have no idea if there is any truth to it, but I was told a while ago by someone that there might have been a few cars produced that had one of each type of rear wing. As any paint shop will tell you when you start noting flaws, you can't see both sides of the car at the same time.

I believe that is original owner: John Wheatley's car (Reid, correct me if I'm wrong).

That posed some consternation when he was redoing the car some years ago; correct the obvious flaw, or restore it as it was originally built? I believe the latter scenario won out...

 

[pan]

My 100 is a July '54 built car. When I got the car in 1968 it had one rear wing without the swage and one with the swage filled over. I always assumed it had been fitted with a BN2 panel at some time in its hard previous life. When I restored the car recently I had the swage removed. Loath as I am to correct Reid, I believe that the continued swage beyond rear wheel arch was introduced during BN2 production. Reference: Original Austin-Healey (Clausager).
The swage on the 100S is different from the BN2, being at a more steep angle.

 

[mjobrien]

Pulled from Autin-Healey 100/100-6/3000 Restoration Guide by Gary Anderson and Roger Moment.

pg: 42
" On the rear fendors of the BN1's, the swage lines ended at the front of the rear wheel opening, and the rear portion was smooth. This style was replaced by a fender with the swege line continuing across the rear portion of the fender soon after BN2 production in late 1955. The change point is not recorded and the change appears to have been gradual, perhaps taking place as stocks of earlier fedners were exhusted."

Hope this helps. I'm sure there are exception to this, after all we are talking about a Healey!

Michael.

 

[richch]

This is one area I've studied in great depth. The swage line in the rear wing of the Hundred gradually changed out early on in the BN2 production. Same goes for the larger front wheel arch cutout. There may always be individual exceptions to this, and yes, it's even been recorded that a few cars left with one style on each side! However, if we can generalize on this, there were a couple of months of BN2 production where the outer panels still have all the characteristics of the earlier BN1 body panels, i.e. a few with smaller front wheel arch cutouts, and a couple of months worth of BN2 production with no rear swage behind the rear wheels.
Rich Chrysler
AHCA Hundred Registrar

 

[Editor_Reid]

I defer to Rich.

 

[tontonene]

Dave,
I have an early BN2 (BN2L229690) without the line on the rear wings.
Kip

 

[mjobrien]

Thanks Rich!