muel Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 You might be familiar with Lucas electrical systems. Here is a little Lucas, "Prince of Darkness" humor: The Lucas corporate motto: “Get home before dark.” If Lucas made guns, wars would not start. Lucas holds the patent for the short circuit. Lucas – Inventor of the intermittent wiper. Lucas – Inventor of the self-dimming headlamp. The three position Lucas switch – Dim, Flicker and Off The Original Anti-Theft Device – Lucas Electrics. Lucas is an acronym for Loose Unsoldered Connections and Splices Lucas denies having invented darkness. But they still claim “sudden, unexpected darkness” The other three switch settings–SMOKE, SMOLDER and IGNITE. Lucas dip-switch positions: LOW and BLOW The original anti-theft devices–Lucas Electric products. “I’ve had a Lucas pacemaker for years and have never experienced any prob… Did you hear about the Lucas powered torpedo? It sank. Lucas systems actually uses AC current; it just has a random frequency. Back in the ’70s Lucas decided to diversify its product line and began manufacturing vacuum cleaners. It was the only product they offered which didn’t suck. Why do the English drink warm beer? Because they have Lucas refrigerators. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 Yes, I've owned a positive ground MG. On a similar note, the Brits never made a splash in the computer industry, as they couldn't figure a way to make them leak fluid. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarheel Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 Had a Triumph TR-3A for a first car. Parked it on a hill each night for easy pushing the next day 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 The only problem I had with my Triumph GT6+ was the radio. It would only work when it wanted to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richieb Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 Had one, could never find it after dark. Sold it on a sunny day -- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JEFKlipsch Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 First car was a 72 MGB...#1 accessory I had with me at all times was a fire extinguisher....thing nearly burnt to the ground probably 8 times....became VERY familiar with the very beginning smells of electrical fires.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richieb Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 --- and this ever popular slight ---- LUCAS - Love Unfulfilled Cause Another Short Applies to Triumph bikes too. Always an eventful ride home after dark on a country road when suddenly your headlight was --- the MOON. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muel Posted February 21, 2017 Author Share Posted February 21, 2017 65 AH Sprite was my first. Somebody changed it to negative ground from positive so the electronic tachometer was blown. Changed it back to positive and had the tach rebuilt. I didn't want to pay for new battery cables so the positive was black and negative was red. Had to be sure to remember that during the many occasions it needed a jump start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricktate Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 I still own 74 Jensen Healey.....Never had any electrical problems other than worn out switches.....In fact the starter was built like a tank I took it apart to inspect it just needed lube and cleaned the armature. TR-6 had problems with the battery cable touching the hood saw one catch on fire at British car show ,,,,,,lucky there were people close put it out fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twk123 Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 I used to detail cars and we hated doing Land Rovers. They were the only car you had to shut off the ignition to spray the engine bay because all the electrical issues. If you sprayed the door frames just the wrong way you would short it as well and the shop held liable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 I worked on a Lucas ignition switch. There were two pieces of brass sheet about 1/4 or less inches wide (maybe brass plating on steel). They were joined together in a lapped connection with a brass rivet and no obvious corrosion. Yet this lapped connection with rivet served as an insulator. I drilled out the rivet and cleaned the bit of tarnish and soldered, which made it good. For the life of me I don't understand how this failure could have occurred but it gave me a respect for checking for the impossible. A buddy had a TR-7 and the motor for the pop up headlight would only go up, not down. I eventually gave up in disgrace. One issue I think is that Lucas and Triumph never understood the amount of salt on roads in a New England winter. My thought is that Lucas had plenty of competent engineers but in the automotive market they were forced to cheap down. Tell a tale, I helped the same college buddy with a very beat up Spitfire which had generator problems. The brushes for the generator (that old) were frozen in their sleeves. One carb (SU?) had a ding in the bell which jammed that sliding part. I feed it up by working the mechanism with toothpaste. That earned me his appreciation as being totally insane. With 4 cylinders working it was a nimble runner. With some muffler patch it was not too loud. The Spitfire, his love, was I thought dangerous. Eventually it broke down on the West Side Highway. He walked to find a telephone. A few seconds after he got out a big American car rammed it from the rear. The Spitfire folded at the scuttle (just under the passenger seats) so that the back bulkhead was at the steering wheel. The four wheels were off the ground. He would have be killed. WMcD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muel Posted February 21, 2017 Author Share Posted February 21, 2017 I pulled seats out of a salvage yard MGB to put in the Sprite (more comfortable). The salvage car steering wheel had a head sized bend in the top of it. It wouldn't take much to die in one of those but luckily it handled like it was on rails and was a bit under powered. You also had to assume that no one could see you on the road and practice defensive driving. I usually drove like I was trying to get away. I loved the sound of that exhaust! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 1 minute ago, muel said: I loved the sound of that exhaust! My GT6+ had a straight pipe to the rear of the car and a Y pipe with 2 Ansa baffles. That was It. It sounded fantastic. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muel Posted February 21, 2017 Author Share Posted February 21, 2017 13 minutes ago, CECAA850 said: My GT6+ had a straight pipe to the rear of the car and a Y pipe with 2 Ansa baffles. That was It. It sounded fantastic. That was it! I installed the same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Sargent Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 My Bro-n-law owns one and the nearest dealership is 1.5 hours away. It's had all kinds of problems that apparently only Range Rover can repair. I asked him "What the hell were you thinking?" His answer, "I have no idea." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 Lucas electrics...anybody who ever owns anything with any Lucas product installed learns rapidly that the unofficial motto of the company is "LUCAS: Prince of Darkness": Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrestonTom Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 I also owned a Triumph GT 6+. It was a love-hate relationship. Something as simple as driving to the supermarket was fun. I loved starting it up, I loved the sound, I loved shifting the gears, I loved the feel when I opened it up. That was the "love" part ...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigStewMan Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 i like British women. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 Me too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJkizak Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 One of my machinist friends was rebuilding an MG and ordered parts from England including a new camshaft. The vehicle would not start. Checking the lobes of the camshaft revealed that they were ground all wrong. They sent the cam back and got another one that actually worked. JJK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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