Peter and Sarah,
This date of early '53 falls exactly in line with the first production
Austin Healey. It was being assembled in late May '53. It wasn't a taller
shock by any means so where the Girling would fit, the Armstrong would fit
too.
However, don't be thrown off by today's replacement Armstrongs of the last
few years that have an extra little round top raised boss on the body that
will not clear inner wheel arches without cutting the arch for clearance.
This extra raised boss was never on production applied Armstrongs.
These pictures show a regular production Armstrong shock on a very early car
(Body 156 built 10 August '53) where you can clearly see the adequate
clearance to the inner wheel arch. The 2nd and 3rd picture is the first
production car (BN1 L 138031, Body 24, built mid May '53) being reassembled
complete with the original (rebuilt) Girling shocks. These pictures really
show how they are more squat in total body height than the Armstrongs.
(Listers, I'm copying this to John Sims so he may post these pictures on his
site so everybody can see.)
Rich Chrysler
Hundred Registrar
> Re: Girling/Armstrong shock change in MG-TDs -- TD production ended in
> late 1953, and the changeover occurred well before then, so 1951 or 1952
> is more likely (my car, built Oct. 1950, has Girlings).
>
> Sarah Carr
> BN1 and TD in Penna.
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Peter Caldwell" <peter@nosimport.com>
> To: "Rich C" <richchrysler@quickclic.net>
> Cc: <Healeys@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Friday, October 24, 2008 12:08 PM
> Subject: Re: [Healeys] 100 Girling shocks
>
>
>> Thanks Rich. I have old Girling catalogs which show them as
>> replacements, but I can't determine if the few that we have gotten over
>> the years as cores were originally factory fitted to the cars, or had
>> been replacements. From what I can ascertain, the timing is about right
>> for when MG changed from Girling as original on TDs to Armstrong as
>> original. That happened in 55 or so. The inner fenders on TDs had to be
>> altered to accept the taller Armstrong shock. Did the BN1 go through a
>> similar inner fender change? I suspect Girling lost the contact for lever
>> shocks to the various BMC factories around that time, but have no real
>> documentation.
>> The April 1954 owner's handbook I have pictures the Armstrong
>> shocks.
>>
>> Interesting.
>>
>> Peter C.
>>>
>>>>Who of you all have Girling front lever shocks on your Healey? It is
>>>>all cast iron body with steel arms.
>>>>
>>>>Were the cars shipped with them? Or, were they replacements?
>>>>
>>>>Thanks
>>>>
>>>>Peter C
>>>>_______________________________________________
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