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Bumper Question

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Healey Nut

Healey Nut

Luke Skywalker
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The original Big Healey bumpers have a small crescent shape cut out in the center edge .
What is its purpose and should it face up or down .
Its kinda visible in this picture right above the licence plate lamp .
 
HealeyRick said:
The cutout should be on the bottom of the bumper. I don't know that there's any purpose to it (maybe it identifies "This side down" on the assembly line or maybe it had something to do with the tooling)
Click to expand...

Guess a lot of people ....me included ....put them on upside down ....
Having looked at a lot of Healeys most seem to have the crescent on top .
 
Although I have never thought about that crest cutout (I guess out of site, out of mind), other the BJ8P2, the license plate light is mounted just above. Coincidence? Since many Healey parts were shared with other British cars, it could be a carry-over from another.

Ray (64BJ8P1)
 
Last edited:
Yes it points down on the Healey. I do not ever recall seeing one facing up but I see there are some.--Keoke--:highly_amused:
 
The front bumper on my 60 Bugeye has the crescent on the top. A big Healey owner told me it was upside down. I guess it is but I plan to be different. The crescent may be there so that when you put your hand under the bumper to unlock the bonett it gives you a little more room.
 
Maybe its to do with the different licence plate mounting on exported cars ? the little crescent shape could be there to provide a path for wiring to the licence plate lamp ?Anyways mine are staying crescent up . I have to many other things to do on my other projects , got to get the outer body on the 64 so it can go for paint .
 
I was just looking at mine two weekends ago. I got a new registration for the car which requires a front plate. I decided to fab up a US version front plate bracket with some flat stock I had in the basement. It was a fun weekend project and saved me the cost of a $50 bracket. Spent a good chunk of time under the car looking up at the little bumper cutout.
 
Oh, and as for the purpose, I'm surprised no one has stated it yet. I'll tell you all what it does and then I'll bet many of you will be able to figure out how it does it. It prevents your bumper from rusting.
 
So assuming the crescent is pointing down it must be something to do with water drainage out of the bumper ?
 
I guess I was hoping for a more specific "why of course" moment.

If you run in the rain or wash your car, that cut out creates a lower point that allows any collected water in the bumper to drain out. Water molecules create surface tension that keep water from running over the lip of the container. That tension allows water to collect inside the bumper at height higher than the lip. The cutout reduces the height that the water can reach and reduces the pooling inside the bumper.
 
Legal Bill said:
I guess I was hoping for a more specific "why of course" moment.

If you run in the rain or wash your car, that cut out creates a lower point that allows any collected water in the bumper to drain out. Water molecules create surface tension that keep water from running over the lip of the container. That tension allows water to collect inside the bumper at height higher than the lip. The cutout reduces the height that the water can reach and reduces the pooling inside the bumper.
Click to expand...

So do I get a gold star and a new pencil ??
 
Legal Bill said:
Oh, and as for the purpose, I'm surprised no one has stated it yet. I'll tell you all what it does and then I'll bet many of you will be able to figure out how it does it. It prevents your bumper from rusting.
Click to expand...

My SWAGs: It somehow breaks up the current flow to prevent galvanic corrosion, or it's a convenient place for water to escape.

Do I win?
 
Hi All,

Well, as I previously surmised, many of the chrome parts on the Healey were also installed on other models. Hear is a picture of an Austin A50 using the same bumper pressing and profile as the Healey 100/6 through BJ8P2.

800px-Austin_A50_Cambridge_front.jpg

Based upon the facts that:

  1. Front and rear bumpers on the Healey and other models have the same profile.
  2. Most cars of the times could also be started by a crank handle.

I would not be surprised to find the crescent cut was made to facilitate the use of a crank starter handle in another vehicle.

Or maybe it was to facilitate a plate light on an Austin A90 Westminster as below.

701px-Austin_A90_Westminster_tail.jpg

Pointing the crescent cut down on the Healey may have been a way to hide it in order to use the production part.

All the best,
Ray (64BJ8P1)
 
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