Some key trim for the BN1,

Since my last post regarding my BN1 restoration there's been some new exciting things happening!
First off, since my last post regarding the original Healey blue paint on my car, I've been concerned about finding the right colour of paint.
It's a tricky colour to nail down because the metallic in it (especially on the earlier cars) was so fine it's almost hard to make out.
Last week however I had a huge and welcome breakthrough! I was contacted out of the blue by my Dad's old painter Ron Allman from Ontario.
Ron had painted all the many Healeys that Dad restored over the decades and is a master painter.
He just happened to have enough of the correct Healey blue paint for me to use on my car if I wanted it!   Apparently him and Dad had worked very hard on researching and creating the colour many years ago, with just the right amount of ultra fine metallic in it.
In fact the fine metallic they used is no longer available which is why he got so much of the colour made for future projects.
It's the same paint Dad used on all his own blue Healeys, and the same they used on the really early bodies #14, #24, & #156
To have my Dad's carefully researched shade of Healey blue on my BN1 feels like the old man is smiling down at me - I couldn't be happier!

Next, I also finally got some original keys sorted out for the car. I was able to get a pair of correct original 'Wilmot Breeden' 'Union' keys through Pete Groh of British Car Keys.
Pete also provided me with a matching replacement lock barrel for the boot lid handle, so now the same keys will fit everything.

I received my rare NOS overdrive switch that I got through my friend Curt Arndt. It's the correct style for the early BN1's with the little ball on the end of the toggle. I even found a replacement knurled finishing nut to finish it off - this is going to look like a jewel on the finished dashboard someday!

Over the past year I've been slowly collecting the materials needed to do all of my own interior and setting them aside for a rainy day.
Well, over the past few weeks we've had several rainy days in which I got to work sewing and making up some of my interior components.

I cut and made a set of interior panels out of birch plywood, including the kick panels, door panels and rear quarter panels...

I cut all the Karvel carpet pieces and bound and trimmed the center tunnel sections...

I trimmed the under-dash parcel tray...

I sewed up the wheel arch covers, spare wheel cover, and the side screen stowage bag.
 - I even made up a spare wheel tie down strap based on dimensions and drawings of an original. I'll be able to produce these for clients now too -

Finally I also made my new early BN1 tonneau cover, complete with a new 'Lightning' zipper that I'm now providing with all the Healey tonneaus I make...

With summer coming to an end I look forward to spending many more evenings and weekends puttering away on pieces for my Healey.

The guys at Jetstream have assured me they'll finally be getting into the metal & body work very soon, so hopefully if all goes well I might have a painted chassis by spring?
In the meantime there's still lots of things to do!

Until next time -