I understand that the software imbedded in the chip was designed by some 'hack
engineers' - They later started a software company, that still continues to use
the same design philosophies as used in this early chip. I think the companies
intials are MS?? ;-)
- Bryan
>Subject: RE: More Electrical
>To: swiftjustice <samesq@pacbell.net>
>Cc: Alan Hefner <AJHSYS@aol.com>, spridgets <spridgets@autox.team.net>
>MIME-Version: 1.0 charset=ISO-8859-1
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LAA13296
>
>OK, OK,
>
>I think I just found out what this "thing" is and why it's there.
>
>These cars were the earliest recipients of an introductory computer chip
>imbedded someplace under the dash that was capable of detecting the amount
>of money in the owners wallet and the available funds in his/her check
>book. From this it was able to determine how expensive the next breakdown
>would be. They perfected this chip to later exceed the earlier
>breakdown/repair costs. Along about '77 they devloped a new, more powerful
>chip that needed to be encapsulated in metal to keep it from letting smoke
>out of adjacent wires. It required an enourmous amount of power so it had
>a heavy brown with white stripe wire attached to it. This chip was not at
>all successful as the metal container kept it from detecting the right
>amount of money the owner had. It worked in a far too random nature.
>Sometimes nickle and dime repair jobs, other times bankruptcy type repair
>costs. They removed it, but in the true British traditions, they continued
>to place encapsulated nuts along where it was originally located. But alas,
>the damage had been done. The car was deemed too expensive to repair and
>too unreliable in performance from point A to point B and occasionlly back
>to point A.. Production on these wonderful and quirky vehicles ceased in a
>year or two. These chips had a half life so they have all disappeared,
>with only a very few of the metal ones remaining. These had a secondary
>function of driving present owners partially nuts! Some it pushed over the
>edge!
>
>FWIW, TIC
>
>Paul A
>PAsgeirsson
>
>
>>>Chris, remember that the 1977 Midget has a unique wiring diagram. The
>'78
>and later cars are different. The mounting you described is exactly
>correct.
>
>I guess I'll have to wait until some car shows and check out other Midgets.
>
>(Cars, that is.)
>
>Allen Hefner
>SCCA Philly Region Rally Steward
>'77 Midget
>'92 Mitsubishi Expo LRV Sport
>
>- - - - - - - - - - - -
>
>In a message dated 4/5/00 8:00:29 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
>ckotting@iwaynet.net writes:
>
><< Hmmmm. I'm surprised that you didn't at least have a pair of captive
> nuts in the firewall.
>
> Allen, the ones I saw are about 2 1/4 inches apart, laid out
> horizontally about 1 inch down from the loop of fuel vapor tubing, and
> look like they maybe take a 10-24 screw. (All measurements are strictly
> by eyeball.) They're above the fuse box. Is that the mounting point?
>
> Perhaps there's something >else< bolted in there on the California cars,
> or the spot is covered with other stuff.
>
> Chris
>
> Swift Justice wrote:
> >
> > Ajhsys@aol.com wrote:
> > - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> >
> > >
> > > I'd truly appreciate it, Chris. It is just above the fuse block,
>mounted on
> > > the firewall, next to the bonnet hinge. Also, look at the wire loom
>below
> > > the fuse block and see if you have a brown wire with a white tracer,
>and
>if
> > > it's connected to anything.
> > >
> > > Is your car a California spec, federal, or UK model? I believe they
>all
>had
> > > slightly different wiring circuits.
> > >
> > >
> >
> > I'll chime in.
> >
> > On my original Calif. late model '79 with every piece of smog goodie on
>
>it,
> > there is no "can" w/wiring, no provision or marks on the bulkhead for
>one,
>and
> > no single brown wire below the fuse block. There is a set of two thick
>brown
> > wires that go from the loom to the fuse block, with a flat fusible link
>between
> > them. >>
>
>
>
>
>
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>From: Ajhsys@aol.com
>Message-ID: <68.25903b2.261cadb1@aol.com>
>Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 10:54:41 EDT
>Subject: Re: More electrical
>To: ckotting@iwaynet.net, samesq@pacbell.net
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