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When You've Run Out of Important Things to Do...

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Geo Hahn

Geo Hahn

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Because the fuses are so prominently displayed in a TR3 (on the firewall, no fuse box cover) it is nice to put vintage Lucas fuses in there, but such fuses are scarce and perishable. An alternative is to make your own.

To do this I open an existing glass fuse, insert a Lucas paper label, and button it back up.

Most fuses can be opened by simply heating one end with a large soldering iron... the fuse 'wire' is held to the metal tips with a dab of solder and the tips are usually held to the glass with some glue that yields to heat. A few wooden spring-type clothespins are useful for holding and pulling apart the hot pieces.

Once it is open you can insert the paper label and then as they say: "assembly is the reverse of the above". Everything needs to be hot again for it to go together so just start the tip over the glass tube, then heat and press it all the way on with the iron. Do a continuity check after it is together, though I have never had one fail to reconnect.

To get the labels here are links to printable images:

https://www.cybertrails.com/~ahwahnee/fuse%20label%2035.JPG
https://www.cybertrails.com/~ahwahnee/fuse%20label%2050.JPG

They look big but should print up about 1/2" long. After printing I soak the labels in some coffee to get that vintage look. BTW, I think the 30 amp were on white paper and the 50 on yellow paper.

US 20 amp fuses work as a substitute for the British 35 amp but they are a bit longer than the real Lucas fuses. A correct length & look can be obtain by using actual Lucas fuses as supplied by Moss, TRF, et al. The process is similar except the fuse wire really is a wire not a blade and penetrates a small hole in each tip.

Another way to get the correct shorter length is to use 14 amp fuses. These are the correct length and on my stock TR3A do not blow in normal use (YMMV).

Some craftiness and creativity may be needed to make this work -- but a nice winter project you can do in the warm house instead of the garage.
 
I thought I was logging onto the British Car Forum, but evidently it is populated by members of the radical group known as the National Corvette Restorers Society (NCRS)...next week's edition will be "getting the exact number of millimeters of overspray and consistency of orange peel."

Just kidding!

That's actually a great idea for the concours folks here...never would have thought of that.
 
Re: When You've Run Out of Important Things to Do.

Good show old boy, now I can save all my old fuses for me and make up ones for everyone else. Geo, you think we should write a book on the stuff that can be fixed on these cars. Right now I'm trying to figure out a way to make the old Lucas voltage requlator tops look like new other than paint, best so far if 2000 grit sanding and clear coat, very time consuming. Thanks again, Wayne
 
Re: When You've Run Out of Important Things to Do.

Voltage regulator. Clear coat looks nice but too shiny.Voltage cover is bakelite,goes brownish when sanded. Paint looks fake. You might try this, it has worked for me.Wash and scrub extra clean, wet sand.Dry completely, get some alcohol based black leather dye, soft natural fine bristle brush.Apply fast and evenly, no lap marks.Dry with hair dryer. Apply black leather boot wax with your fingers to rub in thoroughly, many coats.wipe with clean cloth.NOW use a power machine buffer and buff as you would a car, depending on the shine you want you can use auto polishing compounds of your choice. The finer the compound the higher the finish.Do this gently so as not to burn your finish. Or rattle can the bugger and go on to something more important like fishing.
 
Re: When You've Run Out of Important Things to Do.

Forgot to mention, 2000 grit paper is not the correct grit paper for painting anything, its a polishing paper.It will not aford a good grip.
 
Re: When You've Run Out of Important Things to Do.

BOXoROCKS, so you say spit polish it? I can do that, spend 12 years in the Air Force for something, try to forget the rest of it. Wayne
 
Please forgive me, but I didn't realize you COULD run out of important things to do. That's what my wife keeps telling me. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Pretty cool detail. Those are important things by the by. Underbonnet detailing canot be made light of - almost as important as waxing the underside floor panels and frame touch up.
 
Re: When You've Run Out of Important Things to Do.

Spit Polish!?, you bet, and I want to see a quarter bounce off the convertible top. By the way my friend has a couple of 1948 Triumph roadsters, 1800's I think.
 
Re: When You've Run Out of Important Things to Do.

Wow Geo, thats really scary man.
 
Re: When You've Run Out of Important Things to Do.

BOXoROCKS, I am finally getting the new top on next week, canvas, lined and I will make sure of the bounce. At this price it should make me dinner. Your friend with the 1800's must be really happy to have twins. There's a guy in Ohio, I think, that broke up a Roadster, most of what I needed was in bad shape but he has some wings and stuff. PM me if you want his phone number. Wayne
 
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