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Any Two Seater BN4's Ever Produced?

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hundredsixinsf

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I just purchased a two seater '58 100-6. Strange part is the chassis number starts with BN4LS. So it's not a BN6, but it's definitely a two seater, with the cutout into the trunk for the spare wheel and the small hinged compartment lid that opens up to expose the battery.

Is there any way to tell for certain that this car was originally produced as a two seater and is not a conversion?

Could the BN4 VIN have been mistakenly applied to a BN6 body? Anyone heard of this happening before?
 
The simple answer is no, there weren't any 2 seat BN4s. However nothing is ever 100% certain in the world of Healeys, particularly at production change over points.

What is the full number of the car?
What is the date of production?
Do you have a Heritage certificate?

Most likely explanation is that someone has swapped VIN numbers for whatever reason sometime long ago. A restoration that involved two cars being made into one perhaps.

Or it was a DIY conversion.
 
I would agree with Derek that this was never a BN4. I would guess someone switched the car number tag on the firewall sometime ago for some reason. Might have been missing and needed one for registration ? That is a pretty major deal to make a BN6 out of a BN4, new shroud, all new interior sheet metal like you said for the spare and battery access,etc. Look at the body number stamped on the cockpit surrounds as believe you can go to British Heritage Trust folks with that and get a certificate which will give you the correct vin number - at least I think the surrounds were numbered like BN1's and BN2's ! If you are able to get the Heritage certificate could try to get it registered with the new number but good luck with your DMV and being in California, probably even tougher to get it changed. I had a 1966 BJ8 that had been registered as a 1969 forever and was not able to get it properly registered as a 1966. Guess I had the only 1969 BJ8 - should have kept it !!!! BTW, you can get blank vin tags and then have them stamped with correct numbers by Todd Clarke at www.clarkespares.com
Have fun with it,
Mike
 
It might take two (2) BMIHT certificates (one based on the BN4 VIN & another for the chassis number__stamped near the RH front shock) but I bet it will be pretty easy to figure out.

There used to be a shop up in Marin Co. back in the mid/late-70s that was shut down because they were exposed for swapping VINs around. While working at Austin-Healey West (then at 187 Shipley St__the alley/street south of Folsom, later moved onto Folsom between 3rd & 4th Streets) we got nearly all of their customers after the shake up (police/news video @ 6:00 & 11:00, etc., etc.).

I would not be surprised in the least, if your car turned out to be a regular production BN6 (2-seater model) that someone acquired without a title/clean title, but had a <span style="font-style: italic">Healey in an envelope</span> (clear BN4 title from a scrapped car) and applied it to your car.

This IS NOT to say your car has done anything wrong, per se, it just has <span style="font-style: italic">a story</span> connected to it.
 
Hey Randy,
Did they stamp the vin on the RH shock tower like on BJ8's ? I didn't know that.Should be easy to check that way providing one can read it once the paint is removed. That is what I used on that 69 BJ8(???) I mentioned above to try to get it retitled correctly. Of course was not successful with the local DMV.

All unpacked and moved in yet ? You have my dream garage down there with the lift. Will end up having a lot of new friends once they find out about that.
Regards,
Mike
 
Thanks all. I will check the RH shock tower and see if there is a VIN stamped there. Where specifically would it be located? Also, where specifically would the body number be stamped?
 
Once looked at a BJ7 that had a BN4 tag. Owner denied any knowledge of it being incorrect.

Said I was interested but NOT at his asking price.Never called back

It was in the late 80's. Have since moved twice and he is a nearby neighbor.

Pete
 
HEALEYJAG said:
Once looked at a BJ7 that had a BN4 tag. Owner denied any knowledge of it being incorrect.

Said I was interested but NOT at his asking price.Never called back

It was in the late 80's. Have since moved twice and he is a nearby neighbor.

Pete
Click to expand...
A came across a BJ8 in my area that had a BN4 vin plate on the firewall. Most likely it will surface again.
 
that # on the RH shock tower for the early 100-sixes is not the vin# or body#

the body # can be located
1 - on the left hand side of the bonnet - 12" from the back
2 - on the bracket for the the prop on the boot lid
3 - on the back of the 4 trim strips fitted to the cockpit edges and door tops
per Clausager's Restorer's Guide

have fun checking
jim :driving:
 
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