Lucas S Type battery

[Mr Spigot]

There is an original Lucas S Type battery for sale on Ebay at the moment. Dated 1969, I don't think they were originally fitted to Morris Minors, but put on Jaguars and other sports cars at the time. A useful reference if anyone is looking to create a period looking battery, but at over £400 (incl. P&P) maybe out of most people's pockets!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205876370831

[svenedin]

When I first got my Morris in 1989 I was in the lower 6th form. The car had "old banger" status rather than classic. It was in amongst several other Minors, VW Beetles and the like. Anyway, it had an ancient battery. Possibly but perhaps unlikely, the original battery. Certainly a very old battery. It was large, very heavy, hard rubber cased, had external lead links between the cells and required topping up periodically. It WAS a Lucas battery but I forget exactly which one. It was on its absolute last legs and I replaced it soon after getting the car as it would not hold charge. That is when I developed the art of using the starting handle......It certainly lasted a great deal longer than any modern battery has since. I have been through many since 1989.


Stephen

[geoberni]

The listing says it's been dry stored and never filled.
In theory it's just waiting for a fill of Sulphuric Acid solution, but after 56 years I wouldn't chance it.
£400 inc shipping is a lot of money for an experiment .

I'll stick with my DIY 1950s imitation top cover

20230501_093502.jpg (1.43 MiB) Viewed 59282 times

20230501_094649.jpg (1.35 MiB) Viewed 59282 times

[Mr Spigot]

I have also made a cover for my battery. Cost a lot less than £400 and much closer to the original Lucas one found on Minors!

[geoberni]

I have also made a cover for my battery. Cost a lot less than £400 and much closer to the original Lucas one found on Minors!

Now that's a true work of art.
Did you model it on a particular battery?
I've never seen any old battery photos with the LUCAS in that vertical arrangement.

Materials for mine were, at 2022 prices from fleabay:
A4 sheet of 4mm black Sytrene Plasticard £6
Set of 10 'Land Rover Range Rover Discovery Battery Cover Cowl Panel Clips LR024316' from China £3.35 (The filler caps )
1 Pk of Milliput Epoxy Putty £3.88 (To make the 'Cell Connections')

[Mr Spigot]

I looked at a lot of period adverts and in particular a photo of my father-in-law's MM taken on the day it was delivered in December 1952. He was a keen photographer and luckily for me took one of the engine bay. The Lucas and King of the Road logos were embossed into the rubber at the front of the battery. I have done a detailed description of the construction process which is hopefully appearing in the next edition of Minor Matters.

[svenedin]

I looked at a lot of period adverts and in particular a photo of my father-in-law's MM taken on the day it was delivered in December 1952. He was a keen photographer and luckily for me took one of the engine bay. The Lucas and King of the Road logos were embossed into the rubber at the front of the battery. I have done a detailed description of the construction process which is hopefully appearing in the next edition of Minor Matters.

That's a lovely photo and very useful.

Although your father-in-law's Minor is 17 years earlier than mine, that is the type of battery that mine had when I first got it. Note the (awful) "helmet" type battery connectors, secured with a screw into the terminal post. These seemed to constantly require fiddling due to poor electrical contact.

Stephen

[Mr Spigot]

Now described in detail on page 44 of the January/February edition of Minor Matters.