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  • J200 1286 - Steeple Bumpstead, UK
  • J200 1286 - Steeple Bumpstead, UK
  • J200 1286 - Steeple Bumpstead, UK
  • J200 1286 - Steeple Bumpstead, UK

J200 1286 - Steeple Bumpstead, UK

Owner Andrew gives us this background to his restoration:

Underneath the matt black paint was the original (rather odd) shade of red paint, which had then been flecked with yellow, blue, white and (different shade) red by BAL-AMi. The colours were matched at our local automotive paint facility, along with the correct turquoise for the interior and speaker LH & RH panels as I wanted this as original as possible. The original "sand" colour for the interior was also mixed.

The end effect is good but demonstrates the rather odd mix of colours the machines were presented in, e.g. the textured area around the record deck was black (USA AMi's were green) yet the area around the chrome front panel (where the select wheel is) was also a green textured material in both BAL-AMi and USA AMi variants. Moreover I established the machine was originally prepared in a textured light coloured primer, assembled, then the colour coat applied with coloured flecking. I assume this was to enable operators to select the colour of choice, without holding up production, i.e. the machines were completely assembled in primer - then coloured. This was evident from the paint "tide line" below the chrome side rails.

Given your web site's article about how much of the machines were actually made in the UK, I also found the "select button" was black opaque plastic (USA AMi buttons are translucent red).

Perhaps the one non authentic departure from the original was to replace the perspex front with glass. Just makes the machine look so much nicer.


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