Morris Minor Owners Club

I've just started stripping out my engine bay. It's a late Traveller (71, Adderley Park with factory alternator) but the wiring appears to be heavily bodged. You'll see in my photo that it has the fuse box and no regulator, which is fine, but surely the choc block to the left of the fuse box isn't standard? And you'll see a grommet above the main hole to the dashboard, which seems to be there purely for the aftermarket oil pressure gauge pipe and a feed to the radio. It has been very neatly formed, but I've looked at a lot of pictures of bulkheads and can't find this on any others. Was it original?

If anyone has a picture of an original or tidily restored bulkhead of similar vintage it would be very useful when I come to fit a new loom.

Mark[frame][/frame]

All Minors had regulators fitted from the factory I believe.
Adderley Park travellers had 11AC alternators (if at all), which were positive earth only, and used a separate diode pack.
The chock-block is definitely not original, merely a way of connecting A and A1 terminals together without the regulator in place (and a pretty poor way of doing so).

Mark
I don't think the hole, above the original loom hole is factory drilled.I'm no Concours expert so it's just my two pen'th.

Search" Morris Minor engine bay " on Google Images for some idea of the " existing " variations.
Think hard over the specification for your new loom.Incorporate any updates you have /want to add and get your loom manufacturer to incorporate, Fog lights rear / front, hazards,power for mobile phone / Sat Nat,heated rear windows, etc, etc.
The more you put on the electrical system ?? extra fuses, 6/8/10 ? The "extra cost " above and beyond " standard " will be well worth the expenditure....unless you're a Concours fan or like fitting lots of Choc blocks at a later date !!

The pictures on Google will inspire / guide you but the length of wires on the new loom and actual space on the car / relative position of the electrical devices, will dictate the route it must take.Basic advice ...keep the wires away from moving parts and sources of heat wherever possible ( and sheath / protect when you can't ).Don't strain the loom to get it where you need it , find another route.Replace rubber grommets ( through the bodywork ) and put heat shrink over the metal clips / tangs under the car where the loom travels to the back of the car.
Bob

My 68 Traveller has an alternator and no control box and a new wiring loom. I will try a couple of photos tomorrow.
Lay the new loom alongside the car and identify all the wires before you start fitting. Keep the old loom in case you need any matching colours at a later date












i

Thanks Mike, that would really be appreciated.

Bob, sounds like the voice of experience, are you able to recommend a good supplier for the new loom?

Jack/Chesney - I didn't know that AP Travs were positive earth, or that they had regulator boxes. Mine is neg earth, so may not be a factory alternator after all. Its wrapped up in a tarp with the engine at the moment, so can't check the typical just yet.

Mark

Mark
Most of the usual Morris Minor companies will supply "standard " looms for the range of cars in the Minor family.

For something a little more bespoke people like :-

http://www.autosparks.co.uk
or The Wiring Harness Co, 102 Park Lane,Castle Donington , Derby DE74 2JG Tel 01332 810052 Peter Newall
There will be others if you search the internet for Classic Car Wiring Harness Manufacturers.

Make up your " extras " wish list including more fuses and relays and submit it to all the companies you want to quote.

Bob

Below my wiring arrangement. Some modifications made by previous owners: left below the fuse is for all lights (standard head lights were not fused). Top: some wires extended..[frame][/frame]

Thanks Theo. What year is yours, and was this the original layout or was a regulator box removed?

Mark

1965, as far as I know original layout.

I thought only Police cars had alternators ... And yes 11 AC. On +ve. Earth.

Roy,
I have heard the rumour some Adderley Park Trav's had alternators fitted, as they were using up what was effectively shelf stock, much like the column locks and switches they fitted for example. But they were not negative earth for certain.
I'd be interested in seeing how they wired in the alternators from the factory (if they ever did).

My original comment that it was factory fitted was based on th "Production Modifications" section of Lindsay Porter's Restoration Manual, which states:

1970. During the last months of production some models were fitted with an alternator rather than a dynamo.

With it being a late model (chassis 128605**) and having an alternator I drew the obvious, but probably incorrect, conclusion. (The Lindsay Porter book is published by Haynes, so is obviously infallible.....)

As it is negative earth, but with the battery terminals near the clamping bar, I now suspect Chesney is right and it has been converted from positive. Nothing is as it seems on this dogs breakfast of a Traveller, but it will be as near as right as possible by the time I've finished. I'm not really aiming at concours, but if I was, would I need to invisibly mend the spare hole above the wiring loom grommet?

Mark