Big Healey ridged hood

[Marvin Gruber]

I know this was discussed a while back but refresh my memory on the ridged hood. Did the early 3000 ever have the ridge down the middle of the hood. Looked at a 1960 3000 today that had the ridged hood. The spare hood even had the ridged hood. I thought they stopped on the later 100/6s.
Marv

 

[Csarneson]

There definitely were some 1960s that had the ridged hoods from the factory. I don't remember where I read it but basically Donald had some of the older ridged hoods lying around the factory and decided to put them on cars instead of disposing of them. They are somewhat rare on the 3000s though.

 

[Editor_Reid]

I'll let the 100-Six gurus conjure up the cut-off point/date/chassis number if they have it, but my understanding has always been that only early 100-Sixes came with the ridged bonnet. Because some people just like their looks, they have installed them on later cars.

In Clausager's 1990 book, Original Austin-Healey, he states, on page 65: "Some 100-Six cars had a central crease in the bonnet bulge, never found on the 3000." Given the level of detail of that book and the lists of production changes in it, I'm slightly surprised that he wasn't more definitive, but perhaps it was just one of those running changes and no one bothered to record the chassis number where it first occurred.

(P.S. Donald Healey didn't make Austin-Healeys, apart from the 100S and the first 20 or so prototype BN1s; BMC made them.)

 

[BoyRacer]

All of the 100-6 bonnets had the crease. Geoff Healey was asked that question in 1979 at the West Coast Meet in Bend, Oregon ... when did the transition take place from the creased bonnet to the flat bonnett? He stated that the factory used up the parts they had on hand when they started making the 3000s, and he did not know when the last creased bonnet was used, but it was installed on some early 3000s.

 

[Duane_Rhynard]

I know this was discussed a while back but refresh my memory on the ridged hood. Did the early 3000 ever have the ridge down the middle of the hood. Looked at a 1960 3000 today that had the ridged hood. The spare hood even had the ridged hood. I thought they stopped on the later 100/6s.
Marv

Marv,

The best way to tell if the 3000 hood is original to the car is to check if the letter/number stamped on the hood flange matches letter/numbers stamped on the trunk flange and the hood latch. For an original 3000, the letter/numbers should all match.

Thanks,
Duane

 

[PHulst]

All of the 100-6 bonnets had the crease. Geoff Healey was asked that question in 1979 at the West Coast Meet in Bend, Oregon ... when did the transition take place from the creased bonnet to the flat bonnett? He stated that the factory used up the parts they had on hand when they started making the 3000s, and he did not know when the last creased bonnet was used, but it was installed on some early 3000s.

My late 100-6, 773XX, has the flat hood so I would wonder about the accuracy of that statement. Perhaps the transition occurred around the same time as the 100-6/3000 change, which was shortly after my car, and either hood was possible.

 

[DerekJ]

The crease in the hood was introduced to provide rigidity as the first 100-Six hoods did not have a cross brace at the front. The hoods continued to have a ridge even after the cross brace was introduced until finally they decided the crease wasn't actually necessary and asked Jensen to stop making them. Very early 3000s had 100-Six bits on them such as horn pushes and badges but I believe the old stock of ridged bonnets had been used up prior to the introduction of the 3000.

 

[Jim 58 BN6]

My BN6 was one of the last 50 or so built, and it does not have the hood ridge - but I cannot say with any certainty that the hood is original. However, I don't think the car ever has ever been in a serious front-end accident, but???

 

[RDKeysor]

Not having encountered that information previously, could Duane specify more precisely where the hood and boot flange numbers will be found? I think I can locate the hood latch on my own.

 

[Duane_Rhynard]

Not having encountered that information previously, could Duane specify more precisely where the hood and boot flange numbers will be found? I think I can locate the hood latch on my own.

The body number or letter/number combination (Depending what model car you have) are located on the hood latch bracket, hood hinge bracket (LHD drivers side and may be hidden by the bracket/bolts) and the trunk prop bracket.

Hood Hinge Bracket

Hood Latch

Trunk Prop Bracket

 

[oxford]

My 100/6, BN476762, made Feb 9th 1959, has matching numbers hood and trunk snd doesn't have the crease.
Matthew

 

[Duane_Rhynard]

My 100/6, BN476762, made Feb 9th 1959, has matching numbers hood and trunk snd doesn't have the crease.
Matthew

I've personally seen many original BN4 and BN6 100-6 cars without the creased hoods. All 100-6's definitely did not all come with creased hoods. The 100-6 cars I've personally seen with the non-creased hoods were all later in the production run.

 

[John Turney]

I've personally seen many original BN4 and BN6 100-6 cars without the creased hoods. All 100-6's definitely did not all come with creased hoods. The 100-6 cars I've personally seen with the non-creased hoods were all later in the production run.

I saw a BN4 in Oregon without the crease. When I asked the owner about it, he told me he was the original owner and it was a very early BN4, before they introduced the creased hoods.

 

[Bobbydsport]

I have a creased hood for sale in primer & excellent condition if anyone is interested.

Bobbyd