I’m sure that most of us have heard the late Mr. Lucas described as The Prince of Darkness because his electrical/electronic components were allegedly so prone to failure. Well, I had a nice conversation this afternoon with a man and woman who parked their 1974 MG next to my car, and–based on what the man said–that old meme just might be wrong.
He went through all of the repairs that they’ve done over the years, including more exhaust systems than he could count, fixing the rotted-out rocker panels, repainting it, installing a Weber carb and a Pertronix ignition, and replacing the shocks and the head gasket, but he said nothing about anything of an electrical nature. So, I asked him about the Lucas electrics, and he claimed that he’s never had to replace anything except the headlights.
Three position switches. On, off, and flicker. Have to admit I never had electrical issues, just all mechanical. Had I known in 1966 what I know now, thenpoo4 car might have had a chance.
Lucas provided a CD ignition system for a Brit formula1 car in the early 60s. Reliability and speed brought Graham Hill a driver’s championship. So Lucas knew HOW to build reliability.
But if you had a Mini, the Lucas distributor was behind an open grill. When the cars were built, they had a rubber sleeve over it. It was hard to deal with and tended to tear so most people tossed it. And then their Minis quit running when it rained!
I think another part of the problem was positive grounds. Not a normal thing for Americans.
No idea where the Morris dist was. No idea about SU carbs and they needed oil and a bolt in the top. Like I said, had I known the minimum or if we had internet then, it might have at least started most of the time.