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Front shroud badge

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I bought a reproduction flat emblem for my 1006 and was disappointed with the quality. It appears to be a crappy 2nd generation casting (mold pattern made from an existing part, like a copy of a copy) plus the red is definitely paint, not vitreous material. The ones from AH Spares look quite nice.
 
On a side note, am I the only Healeyphile that thinks the older badges--the 'flat' ones as on the 100s--are way cooler than the later, raised badges on the 6-cyl cars?

YEP Bob:
I think you all alone on this one.--:highly_amused:
 
Thanks Randy. I think we still have the original; I might try to get it refurbished if I can find the right person to do it. They don't appear to be chromed; or if they are, it's a light plate.
 
Vote for A H Spares. I bought one for my 100/6 and it's beautifully made. Clear lettering and nice curve that matches the shroud.
Matthew
 
Bob_Spidell said:
Guess you didn't read cloissonne' is "... created by soldering flat metal strips to the surface of the object." Show me a Healey badge with the lettering soldered to the surface, and I'll buy it. I'll concede these badges are probably neither; as I always thought both were made by melting glass or a glaze to a patterned surface ('enamel' is just a type of paint).
Click to expand...

In the BJ8 Registry, I try to record for each car the configuration of those items that changed during BJ8 production in an effort to get a better handle on the change points when the parts manual isn't specific. This includes the front shroud (or "nose", as I call it) badge. The parts manual shows only one part number for the Mk III badge, but it is known that later cars had a painted center to the badge rather than the melted red glass center. For many years I called the glass type badge "cloisonné", until someone pointed out that it is technically "champlevé", which I had never heard of. I looked up the definitions, and had to agree that the Healey badge is technically champlevé. So, I changed all of the "cloisonné" to "champlevé" (thanks to Excel's "Change All" function, which did more than a thousand of them at once!). Then, I got tired of having to deal with the accent over the e and changed all of the "champlevé" to "vitreous enamel", which describes the type of center rather than the process. There are some BJ8 owners who have cars with no color on the badge at all, and some have sworn their car came from the factory that way. Maybe so, but no way to tell for sure now. I rather think the paint has flaked or worn off over the last 50 years, and I have seen many examples of painted badges in the process of turning themselves into "chrome". All of the "chrome" badges I've seen have the smooth background of the painted badges instead of the stippled one of the enameled badges. The vitreous enamel was changed to paint most likely for reduced cost of manufacturing, so elimination of the paint could have been another cost reduction. But if so, BMC was not consistent with which badge they put on which car -- as with so many other details like that.
 
"....*but it is known that later cars had a painted center to the badge rather than the melted red glass center."

Steve, approximately how late is late?
 
ttrotter said:
"....*but it is known that later cars had a painted center to the badge rather than the melted red glass center."

Steve, approximately how late is late?
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Around chassis 376XX is where "painted" or "chrome" consistently appear, but that doesn't mean that all cars before had vitreous enamel and all after had painted or chrome. The limitation of the data is that I have not personally seen all of the badges but have to rely on the owners to fill out the questionnaire properly. I suspect that some don't bother to actually inspect the detail of interest but just fill in the questionnaire with what they think. The more accurate the data provided, the better our grasp can be of how things were done at the factory.
 
First off, a confession: I'm the idiot that bought the badge on eBay. When you finish laughing, consider it was an impulse buy--though I did need a new one--and I really didn't expect to win the auction (what's the matter with you guys???). Seeing as how my purchase of my BJ8 was an impulse buy 32 years ago and it's worked out well I don't feel too bad. Anyway, it's the same as the one here: https://www.mossmotors.com/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=114033&SortOrder=3 so I did OK price-wise. It came in an old Moss box with the same part#, and the chrome is slightly flawed but not bad.

So, here's the interesting part: there appears to be two versions of the badge, enamel or paint notwithstanding. This photo:

IMG_0700.jpg

is the one now on my car (some idiot went after is with a buffer; if I ever catch the guy he's gonna regret it :wink-new:smile:. Note the lettering: the raised letters are narrower--for lack of a better term--than the one I just bought (IIRC, it came from AH Spares about 10 years ago). On the new one, and the one on the Moss site, the lettering is wider and flat on top (and no, it's not from excessive buffing; if you buffed these letters to 'flatten' them you'd have a stencil and the surrounding ridge would be gone).

Here's the 'new' one next to the one that was on the car when I bought it (paint or enamel was already gone):

IMG_0701.jpg

Bad photo, I know, but hopefully you can see the difference in the lettering. Here's the backsides of these two, and if you look close you can see the stamping/pressing is clearly different:

IMG_0702.jpg

Look closely at the 'tail' of the '3,' with the narrower letters it comes to a point; whereas with the 'flat' letting it's squared-off.

So, there were clearly (at least) two versions of the badge besides painted/enameled (which makes 4 possible combinations of stamping/color). The question is, where there two versions of the badge; one, perhaps meant for paint, and one for enamel? Or, where there at least two companies making the repops who made different versions of the press/stamp? Or???? It appears there is just one version of the badge now; if you google 'Austin-Healey 3000 badge' you'll see both, but it appears the ones Moss and AH Spares are now selling are the same.

When I bought my car it only had 64K on the odometer, and the overall condition of the car seemed appropriate (it had been repainted a couple times, and the engine was rebuilt, but the painting appeared to be to a personal preference--metallic copper!--and someone, a dealer maybe, had repainted the car in a more appropriate color). My guess is the wide, flattened lettering was used on earlier cars, and the original BJ8 badge had the narrow lettering, but now the repops are coming with the wide/flat lettering (yes, I'm splitting hairs; it's what I do). Anyone know for sure?
 
I think I've posted this shot before. It was taken in 1970 and shows there is no red on the badge. The car is just under 4 years old when this photo was taken. My dad wasn't into modding the Healey, so I doubt he removed the red on purpose.
 
First off, a confession: By Bob:
I'm the idiot that bought the badge on eBay.

WOT!!!!-------:highly_amused:
 
GregW said:
I think I've posted this shot before. It was taken in 1970 and shows there is no red on the badge. The car is just under 4 years old when this photo was taken. My dad wasn't into modding the Healey, so I doubt he removed the red on purpose.
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Greg, the BJ8 Registry records your/your dad's car as chassis 38555, which is into the range where "chrome" badges and those with painted centers are common. However, 38556, a car I know personally, has the vitreous enamel badge. As with so many other such details on these cars, it is obvious (to me, anyway) that BMC used whatever part came out of the box next. I would agree that the red centers should not turn themselves into chrome in just four years and it is certainly possible that chrome badges left the factory on some cars. Since BMC was rather casual also about changing the part numbers when detail parts changed (either that, or they just didn't bother to update the parts manual), there is probably no way now to say exactly how many different configurations there were in production.
 
Bob_Spidell said:
First off, a confession: I'm the idiot that bought the badge on eBay. When you finish laughing, consider it was an impulse buy--though I did need a new one--and I really didn't expect to win the auction (what's the matter with you guys???). Seeing as how my purchase of my BJ8 was an impulse buy 32 years ago and it's worked out well I don't feel too bad. Anyway, it's the same as the one here: https://www.mossmotors.com/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=114033&SortOrder=3 so I did OK price-wise. It came in an old Moss box with the same part#, and the chrome is slightly flawed but not bad.
Click to expand...

I see that the Moss Mk II badge is not exactly like the original from my BJ7, since it leaves off the hyphen between AUSTIN and HEALEY. I don't know if all BJ7s had a badge with the hyphen, but again there is only one part number for the Mk II badge in the parts manual.
 

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BJ8Healeys said:
However, 38556, a car I know personally, has the vitreous enamel badge.
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Hi Steve,
I'm trying to remember what you told me. Was 38556 Old English White also? From a styling point of view (mine), a red badge would pop too much on a white car. It may have been a choice to use chrome to stand out less.
 
GregW said:
Hi Steve,
I'm trying to remember what you told me. Was 38556 Old English White also? From a styling point of view (mine), a red badge would pop too much on a white car. It may have been a choice to use chrome to stand out less.
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Yes, Greg, 38556 was originally Ivory White (which is the nomenclature used by BMIHT for all BJ8s). Currently white over brown. I did a quick survey of the original Ivory White cars in the database for which I have recorded the style of nose badge. I'm afraid it appears that there was no consideration given to the type of badge based on color.
 
I made a slideshow from my collection
Quick, so without tripod and without flash

Each backside followed by the front ...
The last is definitly a reproduction

I will make better pictures next week
 
All this chat and pics about shroud badges is good ...However is anyone able to answer my original question and confirm that the one offered by Victoria British is of good quality ?
 
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