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Home Restoration.
Australian Morris Cooper S Electrical Specs Part 1..
This paper is not a how-to guide on rebuilding your car. It merely represents a collection of reference and detail points specific to one model, the Australian built Cooper S, which was eventually classified as the Mark 1. Hopefully this will help to preserve a car that was and still is an interesting part of international motoring history.
To reduce confusion, the term ‘Lucas’ refers to parts primarily of UK origin, whereas ‘Lucas Australia’ is self evident.
Most Lucas and Lucas Australia components bear a part number and date of manufacture somewhere on their main structure. This date is usually abbreviated into the week and year ie; 45 95, being the forty-fifth week of 1995, or with many early components, the month and year ie; 6 65, June 1965. After manufacture these parts were either placed in stock or supplied to the contractor for parts or the assembly line. For a locally manufactured part fitted to a locally assembled car, you may be looking at as little as two months difference between the parts date and that of the car it was fitted to. This then has become the basic method of dating BMC vehicles built before Australian Compliance plates became compulsory in 1970. However, as local content was not instant nor comprehensive, parts were often sourced from overseas, the longer transport time resulting in wider difference in dates. Parts often arrived as part of larger assembly such as the power unit, and were thus re-finished in the colour of the original assembly plus any additional local colour and then fitted to the vehicle.
Another point of conjecture is that after a given point a part was sourced only from ‘X’ supplier. This is certainly accurate with an assembly such as wipers; as major structural changes to the body were required to fit the uniquely local parts. However, in the case of dynamo regulators or flasher units, where the local part is a direct replacement for the import, anything from strikes to cost could have resulted in assembly line changes. As stated previously, dates are present; 3 months difference wouls be realistic Two years means the bit has probably been swapped. Warranty and service repairs compounded this situation as a vast array of parts were available from BMC and Lucas agents on an exchange basis.
The overall thing to remember is that Minis weren’t built by Rolls-Royce. All of the Australian Mk 1 range ran down the same CKD (Complete Knocked Down) assembly line at the Zetland factory. They were Mass Produced and special consideration wasn’t given to any model except for fitting the standard components peculiar to that range.
Loom:
This component is essentially the Mini Deluxe loom with extra wires and the slight relocation of junctions and fittings such as the regulator and fuse box. As with all Minis up to this period, the loom is in two major parts, front and rear, plus sundry loose wires for the front park lights, number plate, rear of the gauges and interior light courtesy switches.
Unlike later Australian cars or the equivalent British part, wiring harness’ for this model bore no manufacturers name, inspection tag, or part number. If any of these were attached, they either were removed upon fitment, or fell off early in life. Presumably these looms were made by either a Lucas or BMC subcontractor in the greater Sydney area.
At a glimpse the loom appears to be the same as the Deluxe. Exterior finish is in black non-adhesive tape. This tape is a stretch fit over the wires and is often tied or sealed at the beginning or end of the wrap. Slight heat-shrink qualities are also present, but I doubt this was intentional. Bondelec (Lucas) equivalent tape is still available today from automotive electrical suppliers. With the arrival of the Mini K (Mk 2) range, full taping all but disappeared along with a few other quality aspects of the earlier cars. Mk 1 loom construction is common with the rest of the range, often with a hemp string master wire and light cotton tape for binding at crucial points prior to taping. All wire coverings were of plastic, unlike earlier and then present British looms, which persisted with plastic and cotton coverings on certain wires. Number plate wires were Siamesed red and black, with a black plastic sheath for additional protection and is still available in length from some suppliers. Terminal insulators are unique to this range, with a black moulded finish on most of the Lucar connections. Later cars would acquire the ‘CMA’ embossed insulators and more multi pin connections, whereas earlier cars used a clear, unbranded slip-over insulator. Both of the two locally made reproduction looms, presently use clear, slip-over insulators.
For some unknown reason, wires for the front park lights have two separate strands of loose red wire joining the loom via connector, at the same point as the headlight wires.
The primary means of identification for the main loom becomes the incorporated wiring for the temperature gauge, fuel pump and heater. The rear loom having the extra white wire and earth for the fuel pump, plus connections for the appropriate tail lights. The relevant wiring diagram will provide the primary and trace colours for the additional wires found in the ‘S’ loom.
Douglas connectors were predominantly in the Australian red insulator and made by Utilux, though no doubt this varied according to Lucas stocks. These connectors were only in single, double and the one multi-single for the trafficator connection. Unlike U.K. production, the Australian car did not use the grey insulated triple, behind the speedometer.
A point often missed by owners who need a loom recovered or replaced, is to have additional wiring incorporated for the fitment of accessories such as reverse lights and rev counters. Or at least to allow the later option without needing to remove most of the interior trim to lay loose wires.
Lighting:
Headlights were the standard Lucas seven inch sealed beam with Made in England cast into the bottom of the lens. This was shared with the Deluxe and Mini Matic, although Commercials and the Mini Standard, continued using Lucas Australia pre-focus headlights. Main lights were mounted on the Lucas Mk X bowl assemblies with chrome outer rim and rivet indicating top. Lights were operated by means of a standard Lucas 57SA, two position toggle switch, retained to the switch panel by a chrome hexagonal nut and wave washer. This switch was positioned closest to the driver with wipers at the furthest point. With the park or headlights on, dash lights could be turned on or off through a non Lucas toggle switch. This was mounted on the right, underside of the speedometer binnacle, and had a black toggle, chrome hexagonal nut, wave washer and locknut. The equivalent left hand drive hole was blanked off by a grommet. Headlights could be dipped by a Lucas floor mounted switch. It is possible that the first cars had the larger 31800, round based dip switch. Lucas Australia (1971, Equipment’s Specifications Australian Vehicles) list the 31800 as being current until 1966. Though the later, small dip switch (34536) seems the more popular and remains the current replacement item. Number plates are illuminated by the L467 lamp, with twin bulb holders and chrome cover which continued through to the end of Australian Mini production.
Initially tail lights were of the British made L647 type. These assemblies are left and right handed with separate indicator and stop/tail lenses and short colour coded wires for connection to the loom. In 1967 the L647 was superseded by the Australian Lucas AL136 tail light assembly. Simplified construction introduced one piece, handed lenses, with chrome bases that could be interchanged from left to right. Because of this change, the rear wiring loom was specific to each style of tail light. L647 units required bulleted wire ends and Douglas connectors, whereas the AL136 has Lucar terminals straight out of the bulb holder. This required the loom to have a special plug for the lower stop tail bulb holder and a single right angled connection for the indicator. All stop lights were operated by a Lucas hydraulic switch mounted on the right hand front brake hose.
The indicators are controlled by a Lucas 31945 trafficator, most notable by its chrome stalk and green warning light. The 31945 does not have a separate black earth wire, which can be a problem if you have powder coated your outer column. At an unknown change point, the wiring cover was changed from cotton braid to moulded rubber. This is similar to present day replacements which use a plastic sleeve to protect the switchs’ wiring. The bulb for the stalk is a 12 volt, 1.5 watt, LES (Lilliput Edison Screw). This is still readily available today, although only specialists usually bother to stock it and many auto shops don’t understand light bulb coding well enough to order you the right part. A Lucas Australia FL5 flasher-can regulates the indicators. The local FL5 was already in production prior to the Australian ‘S’ and with the exception of stock shortages, was probably fitted to the entire model run. This was mounted on the standard ‘L’ bracket, to one of the steering column to dash bolts.
Front park lights retained all British construction in the form of the L594 assembly. A twin filament bulb holder and clear lens were used to provide both park and indicator. Neither this model nor the Mini K range used the amber lens found in other markets. Cabin illumination is by means of a Wingard light fitted to the left hand pillar. This lamp is the later design with a white plastic toggle switch. Earlier (pre ‘S’) cars had a Campbell or unmarked light with a black, alloy sliding switch . The interior light is wired to the fuse box for continual power, earth is either through the switch, or via courtesy switches. Door switches are right angled at their loom end to allow better fitment into the door pillar.
More next month.
MARK PAGET.
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