BN1 & BN2 Engine # Plate Finish

[RandyHicks]

Greetings, does anyone have a BN1 or BN2 with original engine, never been painted or restored, and still has the original engine number plate untouched? Was the plate painted engine color or are there any engine color flecks still on the plate?

I would love to see some photos if anyone has some. Conventional theory is that they were left bare metal but there are some indications that might not be the case.

Randy

 

[AH100M]

I believe that it's generally accepted that the engines were painted green with almost all of the bits mounted, even the belt and exhaust manifold, so how would the number plate be left unpainted?

 

[mk31755]

That is a good thought but I think what Randy is looking for here is definitive documentation for a concours standard. This will be a difficult answer as you would have to find an original unrestored car with an original owner..... and even then ones memory would have to go back fifty plus years.....most of us can't remember what we ate for lunch yesterday.

MK

 

[AHBN1]

Hi Randy,
When Richard Chrysler was still with us and living 10 miles from me I had a chance to look at an all original 9000 mile BN1 (rare gun metal grey with red) he was "sprucing up" for a customer and took a number of photos for my own research, one of which clearly shows the green paint on the engine and a completely paint-free engine tag and dome rivits. It appears that the factory applied the tags after the engine was painted. I can send you the photo if I can figure out how if you would like.
Dave

 

[AH100M]

Could you post that photo (and any others you have that you think may be significant) on this forum so we all can see them? I've never seen a BN1 with 9000 miles.


To upload a photo just click "Insert Image" (third icon from the right on the Quick Reply form). Browse on "Your Computer," select the image and then click "Upload"

 

[judow]

Unfortunately my engine was restored. George Tsikouris in Lakeland FL did the resto and perhaps he could give you a definitive answer as he apparently has restored many a Healey engine.

I do have some old photos of when we first got my Healey and they may include prior to the engine resto. I'll try to locate them and will check to see if I can help you out.

 

[Randy Forbes]

Hi Randy,
When Richard Chrysler was still with us and living 10 miles from me I had a chance to look at an all original 9000 mile BN1 (rare gun metal grey with red) he was "sprucing up" for a customer and took a number of photos for my own research, one of which clearly shows the green paint on the engine and a completely paint-free engine tag and dome rivits. It appears that the factory applied the tags after the engine was painted. I can send you the photo if I can figure out how if you would like.
Dave

If you want to E-mail the lot of them to me, I can host them on my website, crediting either you or Richard, or both, then I will upload them to this forum so they can be seen 640 x 480 in the post(s). Hosting them offsite allows fullsize pictures to be viewed without having to open each one individually, and it doesn't take up near as much of Basil's bandwith capacity.

erandyforbes@aol.com if you feels so inclined. The higher the resolution, the better, because on my website, they can be opened to fullsize to check minute details. Consider it a public service

Unfortunately my engine was restored. George Tsikouris in Lakeland FL did the resto and perhaps he could give you a definitive answer as he apparently has restored many a Healey engine.

I do have some old photos of when we first got my Healey and they may include prior to the engine resto. I'll try to locate them and will check to see if I can help you out.

(Paul) Tsikuris did the finish bodywork and painted my car too.

 

[judow]

Ooppssss. Don't tell Paul. I knew that, don't know why I called him George. Must be a case of CRS.

 

[HealeyRick]

Ooppssss. Must be a case of CRS.

Just can't let that "Charmin" thing go, can you Judy?

 

[mk31755]

Not to be contrary but.... I talked to four or five people who have way more expertise in this matter than I do. One of these people has a 5,000 mile car. My car had 56,000 miles on it and had never been totally restored. When the grease and grime was cleaned away you could see remnants of green paint on the rivets and the plate. The five thousand mile car also had some green paint on it as well. The explanation is that the green paint flacked off very easily. The consensus from the experts who I have talked to believe the tags were painted engine green with many of the other components in the engine bay.

 

[glemon]

Although the knowledge is second hand, I would tend to agree with mk31755, although I don't remember if the plates were painted or not on the couple of low mile original cars I have seen, I do know that I have read (and seen the pictures of) the engines being painted as a unit with auxiliary pieces on the things such as the generator when they were painted. So unless they masked the plate (unlikely) or put the plate on after they had put everything together and painted the block and auxiliary pieces painted with the block, wouldn't it be painted? I have some pictures of a very low mile car I took at the vintage races at Elkhart Lake probably 15 years ago or so, but I don't think any of them show engine detail, taken back in the days before digital pics, so I didn't just snap merrily away at every little piece.

 

[AHBN1]

Hi Randy,
Here's the photo I took of the low mileage original. I can send more photos of the car as well. Mk31755 could well be correct, I'm just showing you what I have found. I'm going to go through photos of my own car that was an untouched 40k mile car to see if paint can be found on the plate.
Dave

 

[mk31755]

I am a beginner at this but I talked to people way more knowledgeable than me and they all concur that the engine plate was painted engine green. Roger Moment, Kurt Arndt, Kent Lacy along with Hank Leach are the people I talked to.. My car as well as Kent's had remnants of green paint on the plate and if you look closely at the picture you posted there is green paint flakes especially near the left rivet.

 

[AH100M]

That doesn't look to low-mileage to me. The paint seems to have worn off of the bell housing (or were early ones left unpainted?) and the oil filter housing. This will probably never be settled 100%. It's a minor point anyway.

 

[Randy Forbes]

Hi Randy,
When Richard Chrysler was still with us and living 10 miles from me I had a chance to look at an all original 9000 mile BN1 (rare gun metal grey with red) he was "sprucing up" for a customer and took a number of photos for my own research, one of which clearly shows the green paint on the engine and a completely paint-free engine tag and dome rivits. It appears that the factory applied the tags after the engine was painted. I can send you the photo if I can figure out how if you would like.
Dave

These are Dave's pictures, mentioned above; I merely hosted & posted them:

https://www.spcarsplus.com/gallery3/index.php/?page=27

There are still another ten (10) pictures in the gallery album linked at the top of the post.

 

[mk31755]

is that a correct engine tag for a bn1.... it is not the same as the engine tag for a bn2 ?????

 

[AH100M]

That unpainted tag is on the frame rail, not on the engine block.

 

[HealeyRick]

That gun metal grey with red is a handsome color combo.

 

[AH100M]

I have some comments and questions on the photos for the group .

001: I guess this confirms that there is no hose clamp on the breather hose. Also confirms the silver-painted heater pipe and the band clamp on the heater hose attached to the valve.

002: Good view of the clamp on the fresh air duct and the ignition cable boots and O-ring. There seems to be a sleeve around the cable to the coil.

003: Interesting how there is red-brown primer visible on the brace behind the MC reservoir. Also how the clamp obscures the top of the decal. I still can't believe this is a low-mileage car with the paint worn down to the brass on the MC cap!

005: I've never see this type of spark(ing) plug boot. And it looks like the plugs might have had a blackened finish as is thought.

006: No comment

007: I've never seen this decal on the Tecalemit filter housing! Anyone else?

008: Ah yes, the curved rubber gasket! Looks like the end of it is cut with a curve rather than straight too!

014: Note the screws in the top. I need to to remember to add those to mine.

015: Boy, that fits nice.

016: No comment.

017: It looks like the fuel pipe and nut were originally painted black. Also confirms the natural leather spare tire strap with the black buckle.

026: Duplicate

028: Note the tight gap.

031: No comment,

033: No comment.

035: Confirms the satin finish on the grille slats. By the way, it's easy to duplicate this by spraying chromed slats with satin clear lacquer.

037: Anybody know what this is?

039: No comment.

040: Tonneau looks unused. Does mine have that notch...?

 

[Randy Forbes]

That unpainted tag is on the frame rail, not on the engine block.

I didn't take the pictures, I merely posted them for you to critique...