8 replies to this topic

[Jgguinness]

As per title really guys, thanks in advance

[Simont]

i think it was around 1972/1973

[Spider]

It surprises me how late they changed over in the UK, I have a general note with it being smack in the middle of what Simont has said - December 1972, though I think some models had them earlier.

 

I think too there was also a mish-mash period where there were Negative Earth Dynamos being fitted and Positive Earth Alternators too.

 

In Aust, we got them from very late 1968 across the board, at which time we went from Positive to Negative Earth.

[mab01uk]

I had a 1972 Mk3 Mini fitted with a dynamo.

 

Approx years and types of Alternators are listed here.....

http://www.somerford...page=page&id=72

 

I seem to remember some export markets got alternators before the UK and were indicated by different engine numbers:-

eg. 12H397       Cooper S Mk3 with dynamo, negative earth

       12H398       Cooper S Mk3 with alternator, negative earth

Edited by mab01uk, 16 May 2017 - 10:21 PM.

[tiger99]

Like everything else, you will find some overlap in production according to what was in stock at the time. This was BMC! Also some cars hung around for ages before making their way to dealers so the date of first registration may not help much. My 1972 model had an alternator but it had some electrical parts that were not from the usual suppliers, e.g. a flasher from a Canadian company, neatly taped to its mounting bracket and clearly original. Oh, and, (please excuse the French swear word) a Ducellier distributor, soon binned. There was much evidence of supply chain problems in that car.

A bit like the A to A+ transition, which lasted many months, with various in-betweens.

[Jgguinness]

Thanks for the replies guys.  

 

As regards to cross overs and errors, my father was telling me the other night that his sister had a Mini, I cant remember the year, ill ask him again when I see him next.  It had an Austin badge on one end and a Morris badge on the other.  When she took it in for its first service soon after she bought it the salesman said "on sorry, we'll change that" to which she replied not to as it was rather quirky.

[imack]

My april 73 registered, november 72 built mini 1000 was factory fitted with an alternator.
I think its a pretty early one with an alternator and one of the last round tunnel remote gear change models.
It also has a factory fit heated rear window, don't know if this has any significance on an alternator being fitted.

[mk3 Cooper S]

It also has a factory fit heated rear window, don't know if this has any significance on an alternator being fitted.

Interesting point. Sounds plausible.

[mab01uk]

Note also the earlier A Series engine blocks with a dynamo use a short mounting bracket bolted to the block casting. When these blocks were later fitted with alternators in the early 1970's, the same mounting bosses on the block were used but as the alternator bodies were shorter a revised mounting bracket was used, as it was easier to create a wider mounting bracket than to modify the boss positions on the block casting. When the revised A+ engine was launched in 1980 for the Metro, BL moved the mounting bosses on the block to a position which suited the alternators size and therefore only needed a short bracket again.
 

Edited by mab01uk, 17 May 2017 - 10:13 PM.