Simon
I was based at BMC Service Cowley in the early 1960s.
If my memory is correct there was a BMC policy of not continuing
stocking parts as follows
Internal trim 2 years
Body panels 5 or 6 years
Unique mechanical parts 10 years
However this was not kept to rigidly. In fact it tended to be applied
mostly to reordering rather than to scrapping to make space for new
stock.
If there was stock and still occasionally selling then scrapping did not
take place.
I believe it was 1962 when I looked up the stock record cards for A-H
100 panel and found nothing worthwhile. Restocking after something like
6 years must have been considered not worthwhile. Possibly external
panel could be ordered from Jensen Brothers but there was no evidence of
this.
Interestingly I was running an A70 Hereford at the time. Most of the
wings etc. were still available. I had rusty front wings that needed
repairing but then I had a windfall. The stock levels were at a figure
that was at least twice that they were ever likely to sell at the rate
they were being shipped. I approached the chap responsible for the stock
control of these parts and he thanked me for bringing this to his
attention and promptly sent half the remaining stock to the Cowley Scrap
Stores. I then bought a pair for peanuts. Everybody knew what I was
doing and were happy about it.
What most people did not know was that I did not work for BMC Service. I
was a contractor permanently on site.
Those were the days!
Regards
>When would BMC spare parts from BMC become obsolete? One could argue that
>the parts were obsolete before they left the various factories! Particularly
>some of the body parts....wings and doors supplied as spares were
>usually/often those rejected during the cars' construction. (So I gather.)
>
>I went up to Warwick (UK) once years ago on some car related mission
>(non-Healey). We drove past the Healey show room quite by chance. It was in
>the throes of closing down for good. I went, upstairs I think, to what had
>been the spares dept and asked "do you have anything left at all?" The
>fellow went off to rummage around and came back with a parts book and the
>little knob that goes on the end of the slider on the heater controls. I
>think he gave them to me and I'd guess that they were the last spares in
>stock at Healeys. (They were both right for my BT7).
>It was an odd looking place.....I think it had been a cinema. Certainly
>looked like one.
>That would have been about 35 yrs ago, give or take.
>
>I have a pile of invoices with my BN2 I bought. There is also an invoice
>from Sports & Classics (Darien, Connecticut) from '78 for rear fenders for
>$225 each. Would these be original fenders?
>
>BTW, When did the spare parts from BMC became obsolete?
>
--
John Harper
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