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MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG TD TF 1500 - Positive Ground Accessory Receptacle

Today I got brave and installed the "12 VDC" plastic accessory power plug accessory outlet that a friend gave me and Diane for the TD. It is from Ron Francis Wiring and the product number is WR-73

Details can be found on my website http://www.dbraun99.com under the TD15470 Restoration in the Ongoing Maintenance section.

Just as some of your cars, Tommy is Positive Ground. I was careful to shrink wrap the factory terminal connections and wrap tape around the outer portion of the receptacle. I wired it directly to the grub screws with the red wire going to the ground receptacle (positive) and the black wire going to the powered, brown wire (negative) receptacle location.

I plan to run a charger to my smart phone, which is not grounded through its case.

Can't wait to try it out for real.

warmly,
dave
Dave Braun

Dave - your set up should work just fine. I think that it is safe to say that all of today's electrical devices (cell phones, GPS, lap tops, etc.) are well isolated from ground, so the use of such an auxiliary power socket works just fine. I have had those sockets installed in our TD and MGB for a number of years and have not experienced any problems (mgb is negative ground and TD is positive ground. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Thanks David... your post a few years ago was my inspiration to go ahead and do this! Thanks so much for your continued support.

Warmly,
dave
Dave Braun

Ours is neg ground, so no real challenge, but I stuck 2 on-
one on the instrument cluster, (almost never used)
but also stuck one in the glove compartment which is used always, ...I keep the navigator plugged in which is used as our reliable speedometer, as well as for directions.
Jim Northrup

Jim, how do you read the navigator when the car shakes as much as they do? I have tried to use my TOMTOM but cant see it most of the time since the vibrations are always there.
Tom Maine (TD8105)

Tom,
My Garmin GPS is my only working speedometer. It is attached to the windshield via a suction cup mounting. No vibration problems. My TD is a conversion to negative ground with alternator. The accessory power outlet is a standard cigarette lighter style plug-in mounted under the bottom front lip of the dash.

Regards,

Bobby L.
B. F. Loughridge

Tom,
The TDs are my wife's toys and she usually drives. Yours truly is the Navigator.

My main problem is the darn screen is so hard to read in the light, I stick it inside the glove compartment for shade. Works out nicely with the adapter in there.

Who's gonna be first with a "heads-up display" on the windshield?
Jim Northrup

...oh you guys and your fancy 'Navigation' equipment....

gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

Gordon,
Ah for the thrilling days of yesteryear. Love your idea but by the time I switch out to reading glasses and squint to find the correct route I'll be either halfway under a simi or have miss my turn by a half mile. But will sure use it when the wife comes along.
Tony
Tony Shoviak

Dave

Thanks for the info and pics. I purchased the same equipment and will install shortly.

Brian
Brian Smith (1950 TD3376)

Hi All:

Somewhere in my "Stuff Pile" I have a 12V accessory outlet that has a switch for changing from + to -. No idea where it came from, who made it or how I came by it.

If I can find it I shall make it a next winter project to see how it works and then install it in the TF.

Godspeed in Safety Fast
Jc
John Crawley

I made one up on the positive ground Hornet before the big trip. Very handy to keep the GPS and cell phone charged.

LaVerne

And the glove box doors I made were the perfect place to mount the GPS. Worked just great the entire trip.

LaVerne

Dave

Thanks for the info, the TD now has a fully functioning spot for the GPS, even though the car is positive ground. It works great and now I can check the speed I am actually doing and see how close the old Chronometric instruments are.

Brian
Brian Smith (1950 TD3376)

You're welcome Brian. The plug worked like a dream on our long GOF journey (not as long as LaVerne's trip to Reno, coast to coast, copyright LaVerne, 2011) and we enjoyed using it very much. Glad you found it useful too!

warmly,
dave
Dave Braun

About 30 years ago there was an MGA sitting at a local boat dock that had caught fire and burned out from the seats forward. I ask the owner of the boat dock who also owned the car what happened to it. He said "You know those crazy things are positive ground. I installed a new radio, went inside and the next thing I know the car is in flames!"
Richard Taylor TD3983

That would be a real problem!!! Like Dave I have taken great care in ensuring that no part of the plug or the garmin will short to the car. Everything is isolated and checked a couple of times. The beauty of the plug is that it is all plastice on the outside and the contacts have shrink tubing while the body is wrapped with electricians tape.

Brian
Brian Smith (1950 TD3376)

"I installed a new radio...."
Have seen this movie several times on others cars.
Two words:
Antenna Ground!
Ooops ='s Lucas operation mode # 4. (ignite)
David Sheward

...I bought an antenna that had no metal parts.... it was a powered one that connected to your 'blue' radio wire (auto raise wire i think)...anyway, it was an antenna cable with a little plastic box on the end...and double sided tape.... worked very well ..... (until the bottom of the radio made contact with the emergency brake that is...)

gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

I have "helped" several people over the years that took great care to isolate all the power connections installing a neg ground radio in a poss ground car.
They all just seemed to "miss" the fact that most antennas are do end up grouding to the body as well as the case of the radio so I figured I would throw it out there as food for thought.

Personallly I enjoy listing to the XPEG more than the radio. It IS music to my ears.
I even like listing to my Morris engine when I cut the grass. I do that all the time w/ mini disc.
David Sheward

...David....I think there are support groups for that..... you do need help.....
gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

Neigbors tell me that all the time!
They are my support group ...wish one of them would buy the beer sometime.
Cheers
David Sheward

Gordon, I always thought that the pockets in the door upholstery were for the storage of our "navigational equipment". I never even got around to installing one of those fancy clips on the dash board!
Jim Merz

Guess what happens when the chrome trim on your td dash gets electrically "hot" and your key chain dangles up against the trim. SPARKS!!!

I'm not sure why the ignition switch core is grouned but mine definately is.
The case of my universal heater switch must be grounded for the light to work. Mine was "grounded" to the parking light supply and the trim. makes for some interesting "NON-LUCAS" problems!
cj schmit

This thread was discussed between 21/07/2011 and 17/08/2011

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