1967 Mark III, Phase I through III and counting

[John Turney]

What I've seen in the US, is that the earlier BJ8s are called single-lamp and the ones after 31336 are called dual-lamp.

 

[Editor_Reid]

I was privy to see some of the restorations of Donald Healeys personal Rolls Healey, I have some pictures somewhere, have to dig them out, if I can find them. PJ

I have never heard of Donald Healey having a personal Rolls Healey. Other than for the fact that about 50 percent of those selling Healeys claim that their car was once Donald Healey's personal Healey, what gives you the impression that he had a "personal" Rolls Healey?

Heck, by the time he started coming to annual club meets in the USA, it was hard to get him to even sit in a Healey for a photo, much less drive one.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

My BJ8, built and 'despatched' [sic] in November of 1966 is most assuredly a Phase II car. It has chassis number 38275. the 'Phase III' cars must be chassis numbers between 31336 and (somewhere near) 38275. Phase II cars have: the (same-sized) front turn (orange) and running lights (white/clear), and the larger rear (orange) turn signal, the dropped rear chassis cutout--allowing the lowering of the axle, raising of the rear and the resultant larger rear wheel well gap--and radius arms instead of a panhard bar. Just because Piggott appears to have made the same mistake 5 TIMES doesn't make it definitive.

I'll need to see some collaboration before I'll change my mind. I can call my car a 'Phase 38275;' doesn't make it so. From Anderson/Moment: 'The final model (emphasis mine) of Healey, today called the "Phase 2" BJ8, was introduced in April 1964." All my other Healey books, 6 or more of them, including, IIRC, Piggott's book on the 100s, are still packed away.

Edit/ps. How does Piggott distinguish between the 'Phase 1' and 'Phase 2' cars?

 

[PAUL161]

I have never heard of Donald Healey having a personal Rolls Healey. Other than for the fact that about 50 percent of those selling Healeys claim that their car was once Donald Healey's personal Healey, what gives you the impression that he had a "personal" Rolls Healey?

Heck, by the time he started coming to annual club meets in the USA, it was hard to get him to even sit in a Healey for a photo, much less drive one.

The one I saw being restored was in a museum for many years. I don't know the serial number, it started out as a stock Healey with approx. 6 inches were added to the car after being cut in half at the factory and a Rolls engine and transmission were fitted. I'll see if I can find the photos I took of it in the shop many years ago. PJ

 

[Editor_Reid]

It seems that "Phase 3" (and/or Phase III) is merely a handy label used in the UK Healey club. Of course, Phase I and Phase II are also not official, but they have been in widespread usage for a long time, so they're quasi-official!

IRCC, the Brits also refer to the BJ7 cars as Mark IIa, another handy label made up to clarify that they're not talking about tri-carbs, but it hasn't seemed to catch on anywhere else. I've never used Mark IIa, and don't plan to start using Phase III.

 

[DerekJ]

I’ve never met anybody in England that uses the name Phase III.

 

[PAUL161]

The one I saw being restored was in a museum for many years. I don't know the serial number, it started out as a stock Healey with approx. 6 inches were added to the car after being cut in half at the factory and a Rolls engine and transmission were fitted. I'll see if I can find the photos I took of it in the shop many years ago. PJ

Found a few pics, crawled all over this car, no debate, draw your own conclusions.

Found a couple of pics.

 

[Editor_Reid]

I have those same Rolls Healey photos. Allen Hendrix sent them to me just a couple of months ago. He was looking for a safe repository for them, and for some reason thought I'd be good for that. Maybe he thinks I'm much younger than I really am!

 

[LAW75]

For those of us that still cant accept the reference to a Phase III, let me respectfully remind those that new words are added to our dictionary every year. "Adulting" was added in 2021...and many more. Accepting that the world changes and evolves, we certainly can accept these facts:
1. No manufacturing literature exists for Phase III; BUT, so for Phase II and Phase I, which labels have been used in the US for quite some time and now acceptable to most of us under circumstances. In fact, when I went to purchase car insurance for my toy, the adjuster wanted to know: "Is this a Phase I or Phase II?" So, if a large group of relevant people use a term that becomes acknowledged ("woke"!!!) and recognized, over time, it will be "acceptable" but obvious for limited uses. 2. Based upon #1, we can easily conclude there is no such thing (depending on what circumstance you are using such term) as a Phase III, let alone Phase I and Phase II. 3. Bill Piggott is telling us/me, that the 5 references in his book is NOT a mistake. He makes such reference as Phase III (because like the use of Phase I and Phase II) it was and is commonly used in the UK when referencing the last "change" on our toys. Irrespective of what we accept calling our toy, arent they remarkable?

 

[Bob_Spidell]

I'll concede when you definitely list the differences between Phase I, Phase II and Phase III cars. I previously listed the differences between Phase I and Phase II, please enumerate the differences in a 'Phase III' from a Phase II car. If there's so much as a change in, say, recommended spark plugs that's change enough.

I agree you can call cars whatever you please. I've occasionally wondered why no distinctions were made between side shift cars and center shift cars or between bi-carb and tri-carb cars; those were arguably more significant changes (I just created a new type of Healey: the 'bi-carb'). There was no '100-4' until the '100-6' cars came along.

 

[Rob Glasgow]

Bi-carb? Should I now refer to my 1960 BT7 as an Alka-Seltzer??

 

[Healey Nut]

Bi-carb? Should I now refer to my 1960 BT7 as an Alka-Seltzer??

This car bought to you by AH…..”Arm and Hammer”

 

[AUSMHLY]

Interesting that my original title has been changed 3 times now as this thread continues.

 

[Editor_Reid]

That's because the Moderator is on it

 

[DerekJ]

Law75. I’d be interested in what evidence you have for saying MkIII is widely used in the UK. I’ve never heard anybody using that term.

 

[PAUL161]

Found a few pics, crawled all over this car, no debate, draw your own conclusions.

Found a couple of pics. View attachment 77477View attachment 77478View attachment 77479View attachment 77480View attachment 77481

Well, I took all those pictures other than the last one when the mechanic took one of me. I believe I gave or sent Allen the pics a long time ago. I have a few more I haven't found, somewhere. My memory chip needs overhauling! PJ

Found another pic, for whatever it's worth. A couple pics of the dash and interior exist somewhere, Mabey I can find them. ??

 

[LAW75]

Law75. I’d be interested in what evidence you have for saying MkIII is widely used in the UK. I’ve never heard anybody using that term.

My "evidence" is as stated, what author Bill Piggott stated in his email to me. Although hearsay and inadmissible, we can take his statements for what they are worth. I see no reason for this author to deviate from truth.

 

[AN6-TX]

I do really love my Bi-Carb, Phase III BJ8.

 

[HealeyRick]

In a similar vein, the BJ7 is sometimes referred to as a MK IIA, but I don't think I've seen it listed in any factory literature. The bugeye is also referred to as a Mk I Sprite, but certainly not before the MK II was introduced.