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MG MGA - MGA Wiring Harness Suggestions and Mods

I am nearing the time I need to purchase a harness for my MGA "1500". I will most likely be using British Wiring for the vendor of this harness and I want to have them make it to fit the car. The car will have a three sync MGB O/D and a 3 main (18G) MGB engine. I guess my question is: what changes from the stock MGA harness are needed for this mod? I also plan to run an alternator instead of a generator. Does anyone have other suggestions? Thanks....
David Terhune

Dave,

Don’t know if this is any help, but I used this company in the UK, I told them that I had a 1500, that I wanted to convert to Alternator and a few other bits and he made the harness for me £120. It’s a bit far but if you can’t find a supply in the US I know he will supply to the states www.thewiringharness.co.uk


Garreth
Garreth

Dave

Re: the alternator aspect, Barney Gaylord covers this very well at http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/electric/ac101.htm

Moss also do the same at
http://www.mossmotors.com/graphics/products/PDF/130-078MGA.pdf

Essentially, you do not need to alter the wiring harness for an alternator modification as you can continue to use the control box as terminal posts.

I followed the information in the 2 websites I have listed and it all worked out very easily, only took minutes to modify.

Steve
Steve Gyles


Convert the main brown terminal that connect from the starter solenoid from a bolt on round terminal to a spade terminal and buy the plug in bit to attach to the solenoid.

This way you can disconnect the brown wire when your not using the car, thus avoiding any battery leaks.

Also if you get an electrical short. (common when installing a new harness) you can quickly unplug everything....

Cheep immobilizer too.

my 0.02c worth.
Mark Hester

David

You might want to check with Dan Masters at www.advanceautowire.com/ and see if he has an MGA harness available. Read the "cover page" on his site to see the advantages of his system. I plan to use his system in my C.

FWIW

Larry
58 A
69 C in restoration
Larry Hallanger

David - If you talk to British Wiring and tell them what you have and what you want to do, they can tell you what you will need. The O/D will need a side harness and that is about all that I can see you needing. As for the alternator, either get the very late Lucas alternator (53 amps) or one of the Bosh or Delco units that have a high current capability. All of these alternators have internal regulators and are essentially 1 wire units, so there is no need to leave the original control box in place and it won't fool anyone looking under the bonnet that the set up is stock anyway. Regarding the spade lug on the brown wire to serve as a disconnect, my preference is a cutout switch somewhere in the passenger compartment, convenient to the driver (in case of a short circuit, I sure as hell wouldn't grab the brown wire to pull it loose from the spade lug - it could well be hot enough to burn right through a glove). As for an immobilizer, the MGA already has the best one devised by man (at least for use in the US) - the fly off hand brake! If you doubt that, ask one of your non MG friends to release the hand brake and then stand back and watch the comedy show. Good luck - Dave
David DuBois

Dave

Personal choice with the control box I guess. If you have not yet installed it then leave it off. For me, it seemed to much hassle to remove it and it does serve as a terminal post. I am in full agreement about electrical cut-outs. I have mine behind the seat in the vertical wood panel. It also serves as an anti-theft device.

Slightly off topic, but continuing on your theme, the flyoff hand brake always worries me, especially when leaving the car on a hill. An inadvertent knock getting in or out of the car and you could have problems. I can recall a number of old movies where the romancing couple kick the handbrake off and roll towards a cliff edge!!

My own anti-theft device is the original gear-stick knob on the Sierra box and leaving the car nose into a parking slot - reverse is in a totally different position to that inscribed on th knob!

Steve
Steve Gyles

Thanks for the input, some great ideas and suggestions...
David Terhune

Add a B wiper motor and switch. This gives a two speed wiper using the original rack and wipers.

I think Bob Munchausen put the details on his site, otherwise I can give them to Barney to put on his if he is in a good mood.

dominic clancy

This thread was discussed between 02/01/2006 and 05/01/2006

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