Any Ideas?

[catfood]

This bracket (the rectangular block on the photo) has been on my car as long as I've had it and I didn't give it much thought. When I had Chris from JME over to give me an estimate for rebuilding my bodyshell I thought I would ask him if he knew what it was. However he got in before me and asked me the same question. So if a marque expert hasn't seen it before do any of you guys have a clue. The plate on the block is raised about 2mm at each end leaving a rectangular slot about 30mm long between the block and plate. The middle two lumps seem to be rivet or screw heads that go a the way through.

Over to you...

 

[bdcvg]

It's either a ballast resistor or an alternator diode.

 

[Keoke]

I Have never see anything like that in a Healey. But I do think it is electrical.??

 

[blueskies]

Possibly a ballast resistor, with lots of coats of paint on top. Did the car once have a non-Healey engine in it?

 

[Michael Oritt]

Possibly a ballast resistor, with lots of coats of paint on top. Did the car once have a non-Healey engine in it?

...or perhaps simply a non-Lucas ignition? I have a Mallory Unilite in my car that calls for a ballast resistor (between ignition switch and coil) that is somewhat similar in appearance and I mounted it in a somewhat similar location.

 

[BigGreen]

Lucas T.A.C. Ignition was on ebay recently, looks different

 

[catfood]

I'm intending to go out on the car over the weekend. I'll see if I can get it off and see what is under all the paint.

 

[catfood]

Looks like it was a ballast resistor. It had 1889545 12V HW on the bottom which is probably a clue. As to has the car ever had a different engine. When I got it it had a 2.2 litre Austin engine but that was running the same electrics it has now. It has the correct 2.6 now.