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MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG TD TF 1500 - Original Lucas Battery

Does anyone know of a picture of an original Lucas Battery. I want to reproduce the logo and the info on the battery.
I consider the sticker that Mosss and other vendors sell very inapropiate for the 1950 s period.
thanks
Jose Vargas

Jose, this may help some. I attached a photo of the re-production Lucas battery in my car. The battery hold-down bracket comes across the front of the battery, and hides the molded letters Lucas, so the effort to have the correct letters was sorta negated.

Maybe someone has a battery out of the car for a photo,

The fill caps also have Lucas in raised letters, which add a nice touch.

Dallas
D C Congleton

Top of battery and fill caps


D C Congleton

Forgot to post the catalog photo of the Lucas battery- my lettering is in black.
D C Congleton

Here is catalog photo-

)I wonder if you can attach more than one photo at the time?)

Dallas


D C Congleton

Image of battery in car


D C Congleton

There is a good picture of the TD, TF battery on page N3 of the workshop manual. This picture shows "LUCAS" vertical on the battery. I am sure there were different batteries with Lucas both horizonal and vertical. In my TF I run a vintage looking battery I purchased from Tractor Supply Company, replaced the battery caps with original Lucas ones to give it an even better look. With a vertical LUCAS it would look period correct.
Larry Brown

This is the sticker I have on the front of mine... if you download it, reverse it in a graphics program and print on a white lable/or clear, but white shows better...has lasted even with the ink side out....

http://www.niagarabritishcarclub.org/gb/lucas1.jpg
gblawson - TD#27667

Jose,

The Battery horizontal Retaining Bar should have two(2) Rubber Buffers,one in each 'corner' up against a right angle tab made for this purpose.They act as a 'cushion' when the Bar is pressed against the Battery.

These Rubber Buffers on TD/TFs are usually always missing form cars,yes,including 'Concours' cars ! At the last count at least,these exact Buffers were not available anywhere so I supplied an original one to a professional moulding company and had them reproduced in pairs.They fit perfectly onto the Bar as per factory. If you are interested in the Buffers, my email address is rgrantham@optusnet.com.au

Cheers for now.

Rob.Grantham
TF3719("Aramis"),TF9177("Athos".
R Grantham

It's great to have Lucas stickers as long as one does not have Lucas products.

Denis
Denis L Baggi

In four years i have had the car quit three times... twice with dirty points in the SU fuel pump and once with a broken rocker arm...Not once has the electrical system failed!
I went over every connection (few of them with rubber covers like newer systems) with a contact cleaner/enhancer in a hypodermic needle...
Think most of the problems come from p/o's adding wires to the existing system...!!!
gblawson - TD#27667

Gordon, lucky you. I love British cars in all their incarnations, but had plenty of bad experiences with electrical accessories on MGs, Jaguars, Daimlers, Triumphs - in fact I often wonder why I stick to my TD (and to my 2004 TF, though that does not count) ! Probably because those British cars are addictive like Scotch whiskey! (I dink Jack Daniel's though).

Denis
Denis L Baggi

Thanks, to you all.
To D C Congleton: thanks for the pictures and 2 questions:
1. Where did you get the repro battery with the lucas lettering on the filler caps
2. Where did you get the battery cable. ? I have not been able to find the originals ones as the ones you have installed in your car.

Thanks, to all again

Jose
Jose Vargas

Jose, I got the battery from Antique Auto Battery, http://www.antiqueautobattery.com/ This was about a year ago, and it seems that I found they were the supplier to the vendors anyway. I bought this battery because I was in the final stages of a restoration, and was in the purist "what the heck I have already spent so much anyway" mode for fine point judging. The battery was not inexpensive, but is the correct size 27, and has the tar top, etc. It has worked well so far. As I remember I ordered by telephone so you can get a current price.
If your interest is not high level judging, but local shows, etc., there are some dummy cases available which people put an Optima type battery inside.

I bought the battery cables from Rhode Island Wiring Service, http://www.riwire.com/
The cable has the correct lead "helmet" style connector marked Lucas and the mark - . It has braided covering over the wire.
The ground cable also had the correct connector, marked Lucas and +, with the correct flat bare braid.

I also bought the cable from the starter switch to the battery. If you get the starter cable, be sure and stress that you want the braided covering here also. The first one they sent me had the regular black PVC type covering, without the braid. I don't know if this was an error or if their charts showed this, but I wanted the braid.
The battery cables were also a little more expensive than regular cables, but not much more than buying the helmet connectors, and trying to solder them on yourself. As you noted, some of the connectors available do not have Lucas on them either.

Dallas
D C Congleton

"I also bought the cable from the starter switch to the battery"

I meant to say from the starter switch terminal to the starter terminal.

Dallas
D C Congleton

Jose or anyone else. I have a Lucas battery that barely holds a charge. I have a new one to replace it. My old one is a wet cell which means you have to add water. The new one is sealed.

If anyone wants my old battery (its in perfect shape exterior) you can have it for the shipping charge. You will have to find some way to get it to hold a charge better. I think there are compounds that may work here but I was not going to mess with it. It will have to be shipped dry which may effect the plates ability to hold a charge even more.

Chris
Chris Couper

Jose, I will send you some pictures and battery box details direct drawing from my TF.
Do you have all the correct cables?

Picture is hold down bracket and rubber corners



Colin Stafford

This thread was discussed between 04/08/2007 and 09/08/2007

MG TD TF 1500 index

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