Correct Color For BJ8 Radio Cover "3000" Badge ?

[Andrew1]

I am restoring the chrome radio compartment "3000" badge on a BJ8 because the paint that fills the characters is badly flaked off. As near as I can tell the color appears to be orange, but perhaps over time has faded. Can someone comment on the correct color.... orange, red, orangy-red?

- Andrew 1-

 

[Editor_Reid]

Re: Correct Color For BJ8 Radio Cover "3000" Badge

At the risk of my post being followed by yet another condescending contradiction, I'll boldly state that the correct color is red, although not a real deep/dark red. It's the same badge as on the bootlid.

OK, you-know-who, where am I wrong this time? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Keoke]

Re: Correct Color For BJ8 Radio Cover "3000" Badge

[ QUOTE ]
At the risk of my post being followed by yet another condescending contradiction, I'll boldly state that the correct color is red, although not a real deep/dark red. It's the same badge as on the bootlid.

OK, you-know-who, where am I wrong this time? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/savewave.gif

Well Reid:-Keoke- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif

 

[Dave Richards]

Re: Correct Color For BJ8 Radio Cover "3000" Badge

FWIW, I just saw a brand new one that came from Healey Surgeons. It was red, not orange red, not maroon red, just red, although it was undoubtedly a replica.

 

[John Loftus]

Re: Correct Color For BJ8 Radio Cover "3000" Badge

The concours guidelines say the following about exterior badges 100 Six, 3000 - <snip> After mid-1959, the 100-6 flash was replaced with a flash with "3000" superimposed on it. The insets on this badge were painted dark burnt orange. After mid-1959, an identical 3000 flash was also installed on the boot lid under the "Austin-Healey" badge.

Here's new and old badge (not sure if it is original though) I have ... does yours look like this Andrew?

 

[Dave Richards]

Re: Correct Color For BJ8 Radio Cover "3000" Badge

What? that's not red????

 

[John Loftus]

Re: Correct Color For BJ8 Radio Cover "3000" Badge

Yes, I agree the top one (new reproduction) is red.
What color would you call the bottom one?

Cheers,
John

 

[Dave Richards]

Re: Correct Color For BJ8 Radio Cover "3000" Badge

Faded Healey Red? I think the top is more a signal red, or as the book calls it: dark burnt orange, so much for my memory, it was just a few weeks ago that I saw the reproduction...

 

[Keoke]

Re: Correct Color For BJ8 Radio Cover "3000" Badge

[ QUOTE ]
Yes, I agree the top one (new reproduction) is red.
What color would you call the bottom one?

Cheers,
John

[/ QUOTE ]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/iagree.gif Faded [New reproduction red].---Keoke-- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif

 

[GregW]

Re: Correct Color For BJ8 Radio Cover "3000" Badge

I picked this up at Michael’s Arts and Crafts on a shopping spree a while back. Wacky idea I know, but I was thinking of trying the red in one of my spare badges. It’s plastic, not glass. Just bake it in the oven at 375° for about 15 minutes. Anyone tried this stuff?

 

[John Loftus]

Re: Correct Color For BJ8 Radio Cover "3000" Badge

Hi Greg,

I assume you are talking about using this for the fired glass cloisonne front badge (not the boot/radio cover badge with the painted insets). I haven't tried the plastic kit .. but getting the right color and finish may be tough (but hey .. give it a try!). I would like to hunt down some cloisonne powder and fire it up in a friends jewelry oven. My understanding is you strip and buff the part, bake the glass powder (can take several steps to build up the proper thickness). Surface and buff the glass and then chrome the part. I have an extra badge to play around with but a long list of things to finish first /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Cheers,
John

 

[John Loftus]

Re: Correct Color For BJ8 Radio Cover "3000" Badge

[ QUOTE ]

Faded [New reproduction red]

[/ QUOTE ]

Hi Keoke, It could be! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif I was actually surprised that the concours guidelines said dark burnt orange (I was really hoping to support Reid on his bold statement! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif ) To me the bottom color is closer to dark burnt orange than the red of the top one (in the 70's my parents had a Dodge Dart Swinger in metallic burnt orange and at the very least it was not red!). The red is definitely a more attractive color, matches better with front badge (cloisonee or painted) and probably most Healey people think it is the correct color. So why does the guidelines say "dark burnt orange"? I think I'll run this one by a few concours judges for fun.

Cheers,
John

 

[Editor_Reid]

Re: Correct Color For BJ8 Radio Cover "3000" Badge

[ QUOTE ]
I think I'll run this one by a few concours judges for fun.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm one of the longest-serving concours judges (although I'm not one of the two or three who is sure that he is right about everything and that his opinion trumps those of all others).

But I will say, the paint on these badges is red.

Imagine the scene... 1952... sitting around a table at tea break at the Donald Healey Motor Company... tension is high as the date of the London Motor Show approaches... Donald speaks first... "Well, this '100' badge is very nice, but it needs 'something.' Wot can we do, Gerry?" Gerry Coker, designer of the Healey Hundred, swallows his tea and, with a look of considered sophistication, finally replies, "Dark burnt orange. It needs some dark burnt orange... No! Wait! What was I thinking?!? Red. All it needs is some red. Sorry, I spaced out there for a moment. Just red. Yes, yes, that will do nicely. Besides, here in England in this age of post-war shortages, you'd have to be mad to think you could even get something as esoteric as a "dark burnt orange" paint! Forgive me, I lost my head there for a moment. Red. Yes, that's it. Red!" And the Healey Hundred grill badge, predecessor of the later 3000 badge found on boot lids and radio hole blanking plates, gets some red and enters legend.

Fast forward to the scene several decades later, the not-really-top-quality red paint has faded, of course, but a lengthy discussion amongst Healey owners has broken out...

Look, it's red guys. It's just red. No one ever specified dark burnt orange. It was red. They may have faded a bit over the years and appear slightly orangish now, but they were red. Paint them red.

Let's move on... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif

Here are a couple of pictures of an original, unmolested 3000 "flash" badge. The paint is red; faded red. And note the spray pattern with which is was applied. Uh, oh... now we'll have a whole thread about "how" they applied the red paint... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazyeyes.gif

 

[Keoke]

Re: Correct Color For BJ8 Radio Cover "3000" Badge

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Faded [New reproduction red]

[/ QUOTE ]

Hi Keoke, It could be! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif I was actually surprised that the concours guidelines said dark burnt orange (I was really hoping to support Reid on his bold statement! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif ) To me the bottom color is closer to dark burnt orange than the red of the top one (in the 70's my parents had a Dodge Dart Swinger in metallic burnt orange and at the very least it was not red!). The red is definitely a more attractive color, matches better with front badge (cloisonee or painted) and probably most Healey people think it is the correct color. So why does the guidelines say "dark burnt orange"? I think I'll run this one by a few concours judges for fun.

Cheers,
John

[/ QUOTE ]

Betcha ain't non of em gonna agree John.---Keoke- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif

 

[John Loftus]

Re: Correct Color For BJ8 Radio Cover "3000" Badge

[ QUOTE ]
The paint is red; faded red.

[/ QUOTE ]

looks more like Crimson Red to me /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif

but really .. don't shoot the messenger (hmm could it be blood red?) when it's really the concours committee that obviously has it's head up it's tailpipe on this one! Doesn't anybody proof read this stuff??

Cheers,
John

 

[Editor_Reid]

Re: Correct Color For BJ8 Radio Cover "3000" Badge

[ QUOTE ]
...don't shoot the messenger (hmm could it be blood red?) when it's really the concours committee that obviously has it's head up it's tailpipe on this one! Doesn't anybody proof read this stuff?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, the Concours Guidelines are sent out for review annually, but my experience has been that suggested changes are often met with an aggressive defense of the status quo, discouraging feedback. I don't bother anymore...

P.S. The paint is red. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif

 

[anthony7777]

Re: Correct Color For BJ8 Radio Cover "3000" Badge

grgw,that kit looks like itll be fun to try,i like the "claws-in-ay" look with more of a "blood" red color see atch.i used an acrylic paint thats used in taxidermy "fish" painting work,just filled up the voids,let dry, and used a razor to scape of any excess,the paint comes in many colors and can be mixed to create a custom "correct" color if desired,the pic shows my first experiment with this stuff.like i said i like more of a blood red,concours judges? who gives a rats ASSpiration. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif

 

[shorn]

Re: Correct Color For BJ8 Radio Cover "3000" Badge

Reid,
Would that be the same red as Chevrolet used on the 1956 Corvette?
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif

 

[Editor_Reid]

Re: Correct Color For BJ8 Radio Cover "3000" Badge

[ QUOTE ]
Reid, Would that be the same red as Chevrolet used on the 1956 Corvette? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I think so, but my 1956 Corvette isn't here right now, so I can't go check it. If you wanted to really live on the edge, you could just throw caution to the winds and go for it in 1956 Corvette red though. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazyeyes.gif