Thread: 51 MG restoration.

This car, being a hybrid of a 51 positive ground MG, coupled with a 59 tr3 power plant and tranny, that was then converted to neg ground ALTERNATOR charged electrical system was a challenge to wire for sure, but there was no one harness kit that would work so I really had no choice but to go bespoke. Couple that with the learned frailties of the existing system and you have me running all new.
Luckily it really is one of the easier tasks on this rebuild and is rather cathartic to terminate everything. Sort of like forces one last check of the process.
Adding fuses, relays, disconnects and a few new lighting features is all relatively easy when you start from scratch.
And when done, I’ll make a new schematic to capture all I did so future owners will have a very easy learning curve.
Appreciate the feed back on keeping a bit of slack still in the runs for future work Jerry.

I can't remember if you've shown it already but what fuse system did you use??

Hiya Roy, hope you are gettin spring ready buddy!
I bought a generic box from eBay with 4 hot, and about 8 switched fuse outputs,

That’s my hub with the 4 fed direct from the hot buss bar in the distribution box, and the 8 fed from the relay also in the box, which is now installed in its home in the front tool box bottom.

Also bought an all in one turn signal unit that is a little big, but I’ve tucked it under the dash so itll be useful but unseen.

Nice thing about the turn signal unit is the ‘blinker’ is built into the unit itself so one less add on on the dash, and it has a hazard switch, which the car never had originally either. Like I said, ugly plastic chrome housing, but tucked under the dash, and I may try some green touch up paint on it if I really don’t like it after it’s all built.

That box looks swell! Some air across that? A widdle 12 volt computer fan on one side and a filtered vent on the other.......
Those truck signal units work fine. They now make some really slim and pretty turn signal units.
Might be worth checking out while you spend your fortune?

There are still holes for former attachments on the inner and outer sides of the box so wasn’t thinking of a fan, do these msd boxes generate heat? Figured there would still be some air flow, and planned on dropping a wooden board across all those stand offs to still have a tool box area for a tool roll, and the Jack.
I suppose I could raise the floor still enough for like a 4” cpu fan, but really wasn’t planning on it.

I dont think a fan would be needed imo. Just a little space with air holes. The fuse boxes under the dash of cars dont have them but they are also not sealed up so as kong as air can flow across.

I hate those bulky turn signals. Ugly but they work well. Im with Tom on this. Maybe see if a thinner one is made nowadays. An electronic on enstead of big mechanicly?

Slim pickings for Turn indicators of the length I need that didn’t look too modern, at least in my neck of the internet..
And reading the msd manual, I do read manuals sometimes,,, it does say not to install the box in a glovebox, which that front tool box could be considered. So to err on the side of long run-ability, I will be adding a little fan in that sub section, somehow. Thanks for the suggestion Tom.
The capacitors or whatever are in there stepping up the charge must build up a certain heat or they wouldn’t put that qualifier in the book.

Why not just mount it on the firewall out of sight? Don't want to overthink it.

Well, they do have fins...
I bet you could stick your BBQ probe in there and see. One of mine is on inside firewall with a foam 'cover' to muffle the buzz.
The other one I have is on outside firewall. I never have put my hand on one after running a while.
I will do that today and report.


Otay, the Cuda cooled down for 3 hours at a little retirement party/car show and I laid my hand on it as we got home.
After 5 miles it was pretty warm. Almost hot.

I would say some air moving would be a pretty good idea. Might want to make it a 'pusher' fan so heat would never effect the fan.

No room on the external firewall near enough to be practical, which is why it ended up in the boot.
I’m sold on a fan and am also glad the cabin side of that box is clad with 8mm acoustic foam now that I hear they buzz in operation. Hopefully that doesn’t transfer into the cabin.
Wil be able to figure out a way to fit a fan in and still have an additional panel above hiding the whole electrical array while leaving some useable tool space still.
Tonight, I’m actually almost completed the wiring to the dash. All the final terminations will need to wait till the interior goes in though as the final placement of the dash is reliant on other pieces positions. But things are all routed to their final homes.
Pretty psyched as another really large milestone is almost behind me.!,!
Can turn to final fitment of driveshaft and brake system, then the interior next.