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1967 BJ8 Coupe based upon the ACME advert

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andrewss

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Ok call me mad or just plain stupid but since i've seen the picture of the old ACME kit advert i'm hooked on the idea of building a Healey Coupe. Not a Nash coupe but a modified BJ8.

I have a 67 BJ8 that's been stripped down and in the process of chassis repair before a repaint and rebuild. The Heritage certificate says Racing Green with black interior so I will stay true to the colors. I have the luxury of a body shop and some really creative bodywork staff. I ran the idea through them and have had suggestions that a porsche 912 roof or MG GTB and rear would be similar to the lines that the ACME ad shows.

Before we cut or build anything I would like the input of the members in this forum. I respect your views and have been a regular reader for tips and advice on previous standard Healey projects.

I can build in steel or aluminium. Any advice or guidance will be given consideration. I intend to post photos of the progress and give feedback to those of you that can help me build this project.


Please be kind even if you think that I'm completely off my rocker.

Regards,
 
Andrew,

I think a coupe would be stunning and would make a great grand touring car. Cape International has advertised plans to do one for quite some time, but I'm not sure a car was ever produced: https://www.cape-international.com/forsale_3000_coupe.php I'd think that air conditioning might be a worthy addition, even in Europe.
 
Not off your rocker at all. There should have been more coupes other than the two the Healeys produced (if only BMC had not been so tight with the purse strings). I think the Acme design, while actually quite good looking, is a bolt on in place of the hood and the boot lid (I may be mistaken). If you have access to a fabrication crew, my vote would be neither the bolt on, nor the transplant from another car. I'd design a beautiful lid that completely compliments Coker's design and fully fabricate it onto the car. I don't think a transplant can ever look right--they were designed for their respective cars.
 
I say go for it . The Healey coupe is a gorgeous looking car . The only thing I would add would be a fabric sunroof similar to the ones you occasionally see on the MGB then you have the best of both .
 
Certainly, if done correctly, it would be stunning, and, IMO much more comfortable. That's why I leave my hard top on year around. Since you have the choice, I would suggest aluminum because of weight.
 
Here are two photos of what I consider to be an excellent BJ8 Coupe. This was created in the UK. The builder shaped the coupe style on the body using polystyrene blocks cut and sand to shape. he the made the coupe in fibreglass. His inspiration was the 250 GTO.
 

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I apologise for the typos. I hope you understood what I said. An article about the car featured in Revcounter, the UK AH Club magazine. Unfortunately I cant find my copy but I had already met the builder at the Silverstone Classic where I took the photos.
 
Derek, what a gorgeous car. Would love to learn more about that build. If one wanted to do a coupe in fiberglass, I wonder if one could start with a reproduction works hardtop and at least have the header rail and the side light surrounds done, and go from there.

Andrew, you need to get on with this project!
 
DerekJ said:
Here are two photos of what I consider to be an excellent BJ8 Coupe. This was created in the UK. The builder shaped the coupe style on the body using polystyrene blocks cut and sand to shape. he the made the coupe in fibreglass. His inspiration was the 250 GTO.
Click to expand...

That is nice! When you think of it, since the E-Type had a coupe, MG had the B-GT and Triumph had the GT-6, it's funny there was never a Healey coupe in regular production.
 
Hi Guys, thanks for the input so far. I must admit I do like the coupe shape provided by Derek. I would like to stay loyal to the original design as much as possible so i will retain the boot lid shape with existing hinges and the front grill complete without spots. I do like the lack of bumpers although I'm not sure that European road rules will allow me to do away with the bumpers completely (need to check).

Retaining the windscreen header rail of the soft top will give me the shape and method of keeping the coupe roof connected as there are no pillars as part of the windscreen chassis. I was thinking that the soft top frame will give the basis of the coupe shape as far as the rear soft window and from that point find the curve down to the rear shroud.

The rear shroud is alu and the boot lid metal. The rear shroud needs quite a few degrees of change to create the lines. I want to retain the rear light configuration so will need to extend the alu shroud to form the curve shape.

I am not an engineer so advice is needed on strength and rigidity of an aluminium coupe top or steel. My thoughts so far are for an extended alu rear shroud/roof as one piece and the existing steel boot lid.

Again any thoughts much appreciated..

Regards,

Andrew
 
Maybe Cape had some Porsche in mind, like their Targa ...
Header rail and targa bar would give stucture I think
Also useing the Triumph GT6 backdoor is an option
 
^^ Yes!

The roadster hardtop profile would give a very nice shape to the forward section then blend it back over a rear screen out of something that nobody has heard of so you don't get the "oh, it's a Triumph" sort of comments...
 
Can't stop looking at your drawing, even though I have things to do on this Sunday afternoon. You've really hit the roofline. Perfect. One of the things that make it perfect is the very slender line above the windshield and the side windows. The E-Type Coupe is similarly minimalist. If you can engineer a way to retain that design feature, you will have created a stunner. Most Healey coupes I've seen have much more mass above the windshield frame. Even the works hardtop is several inches higher than the top of the windshield.
 
CLEAH said:
.... Even the works hardtop is several inches higher than the top of the windshield.
Click to expand...
Some of that may be to provide headroom. At 6' - 1/2" with long legs, I have plenty, but I have friends with a long torso that don't fit with the top on.
 
Headroom issue - John I am also 6' 2" but i think that the solution lies in doing four things. Firstly the spring mechanism for the roof will no longer be necessary. Secondly the roof retaining plate will be reduced in size as its purpose will have changed from being the pivotal point for the soft top mechanism to a mounting point for the middle roof support. Thirdly change the seats for the 100S model, the 100S seats are a little deeper (lower 1 1/2") than the standard BJ8 seats. And lastly reposition the seat runners 3/4" further back as this will no longer have rear seats. All this allowing me to adapt the rear vinyl card on each side to gain an additional 2 1/2" of leg room and in a lower seated driving position giving additional headroom to compensate for the roof design.

I would love to know what Gerry Coker would think of this design idea.

Regards,

Andrew
 
I thought I already made this post but it must have failed during Basil's maintenance of the site.

I'm not sure you will be able to retain the original boot lid for the coupe. I don't think it will be the correct shape unless your coupe dips down when it flows from the roof line.
 
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