The Car Now

It was decided that I would convert the car to run on 12-volts but keep it fully cosmetically the same as for original 6-volt system. After researching & checking various sources the Horn and Starter are fine for running at 12-volts. I originally used dropper resistors to check all would work fine before obtaining later units although I had picked most of these up reasonably priced at previous rallies. All the bulbs are changed for 12-volt types as was the coil and fuel pump. The trafficators were changed for 12-volt types but I had to use the existing fixing plates. The dynamo will output in excess of 20-volts but the charge does not rise above 12-volts until you get above 28mph in top. As my model only has a cut out an addition of resistance into the cut out coil was all that was required. Owners with the later voltage regulator will need to do changes to this and to the dynamo. I will be looking to perhaps change the field coils to 12-volt types and/or make changes to the regulation unit at a later stage. The fuel gauge was retained and I made up an electronic voltage dropper cheaply that just affixed to the back of gauge allowing reliable readings. The headlight dipswitch takes a heavy load at 6-volts but even though the load is reduced with 12-volts I utilised the existing Series 2 wiring to incorporate a current 30 amp auto relay to do the dipping thus reducing the existing switch to control the relay. A colleague had a broken windscreen wiper motor but the motor / coil units were good so I rebuilt the existing unit with the 12-volt motor. The existing resistor had worked fine on it before do this though.

Running boards had now been fabricated and after much ringing around the correct ribbing and smooth rubber were affixed. The rear rubbers for the drainage were cut from household doorstops that were exactly the correct diameter. The original luggage rack was not with the car, so I obtained measurements from another and fabricated one up to the original sizes.

MOT was now booked and the car initially failed on 2 items. One being a split pin I had missed on a track rod end and the other being excessive play on the steering rack. This was overcome by pressing out the existing peg and turning it through 90 degs to present an unused face. Unfortunately the shims to give clearance had been removed from the box in previous years so temporary paper ones were made.
Anybody got some spare shims hidden away or an old box not used now ???

The car was 1st run in the local carnival classic car run and then taken to the National Morris Register rally reported on a separate page of this site.

This Page under continuing construction please call back regularly

Last updated Aug 2003