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BJ8 color scheme

David_K

Jedi Hopeful
Offline
Were any 1964-1967 BJ8s available from the factory with two tone paint? I've seen many on the internet, but I believe they should be one solid color.

Thanks! Hopefully a Healey owner in the near future.
 
The car I'm looking is painted BRG green with white coves.
 
According to the Anderson, Moment Restoration book, BJ8's came in tow tone colors of Healey Blue/Ivory White, Black/Colorado Red, Florida Green/Ivory White, Colorado Red/Black and Ivory White/Black. Therefore, Metallic Golden Beige and British Racing Greens were only available as a solid color. That said, I have seen BRG over white on BJ8's, but apparently not from the factory.
 
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The car I'm looking is painted BRG green with white coves.

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The first car I saw painted that combo belonged to Chuck Gowan. That was in northern California in the mid-1980s. I liked it so much that I had mine painted that way. I sold that car in 1987, but I still know the owner and where it is, and in fact it was featured on a calendar last year, still looking exactly like the day I sold it. Take a look at it:
My Old Healey On Calendar

I see that my old car still attracts female types... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
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I see that my old car still attracts female types... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif

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You taken up braggin too?.---Keoke- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
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[/ QUOTE ]I see that my old car still attracts female types... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif

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You taken up braggin too?.---Keoke- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

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Well, the car seems to be doing pretty well without me, so I'm not sure how that is bragging! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif
 
Then you shouldn't have said anything Reid and let the car have it day.Did you see the erroneous identity of the girl that failed to be erased in the Picture?----Keoke

Go back and take a good look at that picture Reid.
 
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Then you shouldn't have said anything Reid and let the car have it day.Did you see the erroneous identity of the girl that failed to be erased in the Picture?----Keoke

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Don't follow you, but I do know this: It is extremely unlikely that there will ever be a thread titled, "Keoke M.I.A." Iffin ya git ma drift... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
I'm kinda partial to Healey blue/Ivory white, and Colorado Red/Black.
 
This site lets you see the various exterior/interior color combinations (you've already been directed to this, I think).

Steve Byers, who keeps the registry for BJ8s, has produced a summary of his records. In a post to the Austin Healey list he said:

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Out of 6130 BJ8s now included in the registry (34.6& of total production), I have documentation (either copies of BMIHT certificates, or the data is copied directly from the BMIHT archves) for the original colors of 1,785 cars (10% of total BJ8 production).

The distribution is as follows, in order of decreasing numbers. Percentages are relative to 1,785:
1. BRG: 518 (29%)
2. Healey Blue: 421 (23.5%)
3. Colorado Red: 298 (16.7%)
4. Ivory White: 271 (15%)
5. Black: 111 (6%)
6. Metallic Golden Beige: 92 (5%, but we know there were a total of 553 of these, or 3% of total BJ8 production)
7. Healey Blue/White: 30 (1%)
8. Ivory White/Black: 13 (0.7%)
9. Black/Colorado Red: 10 (0.5%)
10. Colorado Red/Black: 10 (0.5%)
11. Ivory White/Red: 7 (0.3%)
12. BRG/Ivory White: 1 (this is not a color combination listed as available by Clausager, however there was at least one per BMIHT records. It was a home market (RHD) car, unfortunately written off in South Africa in 1970.
13. Colorado Red/White: 1
14. Florida Green: 1
15. Silver Grey: 1 (special order, and only one existed)
Having a large number of BMIHT certificates collected together allows for some interesting comparisons, observations, and statistics. For example, paging through the 500 or so that I have from the earlier cars toward the later shows that in the beginning, Ivory White and Black were dominating colors, whereas toward the middle Healey Blue takes over, and for later production BRG begins to dominate. Almost all of the last 50 cars produced were BRG. I suppose this gives some indication of what the factory thought was a good seller as production progressed.


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I think the BRG/White is very nice and know of two cars in that combination. I'm very likely to have mine painted in it at some indeterminate future date.

One thing about Mr. Byers' data is the very, very small numbers that originally came with two-tone paint. I was surprized by the historical data, given the numbers now seen. Must be a lot of people out there with paint brushes.....
 
I heard (started) a rumor that the other 65% of the cars built were ALL two toned. The owners got together secretly and decided if they didn’t register, it would appear that two-tone paint was a rare option and their cars would increase in value. It’s a conspiracy I tell you!
 
Thank you gentlemen for your detailed responses! Just called my father who looked at the engine and transmission today. Says both are complete,cleaned up, and the transmission is Overdrive!

What interior color would be respectable for a BRG/White color combo? Black with BRG piping? Solid Black? .......any others?

Thanks!
 
White with BRG piping. A lot of contrast, but still fitting! White top.

It'd definately be a cool color combo, and rarer than hen's teeth!
 
The ones I've seen have had black interiors and looked very nice with them.

I've alos seen solid BRG with parchment/tan/beige interiors that looked very nioe as well.

I'm not so sure the the BRG/White with parchment/tan/beige would "work" as well as the plain black....

Of course, a dark green interior would be another option that might be better still, but that's well off the standard list....
 
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