My last Lucas alternator blew over the weekend.
We were on a tour of the California Coast, enjoying the 85 degree
weather and clear skys. The coast is great this time of year. The
summer fog season is gone, crowds are less. So we drove Highway 1
south from Santa Cruz to San Simeon, a tour of Hearst Castle, and an
overnighter at the State Park. While leaving the parking lot at Hearst
Castle, a hapless new owner of a Chevrolet (who left his lights on)
needed a jump start. Well, I had cables, so I agreed.
As a precaution, I unplugged my alternator. But my battery would turn
his engine,but not start it. So I decided to risk it and plugged in my
alternator and started the Spit up hoping to boost more amps into the
chevy.
Wrong. All it did was blow out the regulator in my alternator. Never
did get his car started. I had to stop at a Chevron station in Cambria
to get a recharge. This did get me home the next day. No fan, no
overdrive, no lights, but we made it.
Since I had tried the Bosch retrofit on the other spit and on the
Capri, I decided to do the same on the 79 Spit at this time. But
instead of digging a unit out of a Fiesta in the junk yard, I picked one
up at Santa Cruz Autoparts. The rebuilt unit was $90. I specified 1980
Fiesta with AC and rear window defogger. The cars came with either the
Autolight (?) or the Bosch unit. You have to specifiy Bosch, since the
wiring is different, and the Ford unit does not bolt up the same.
The Bosch unit fit right on, no bracket messing and no wiring messing.
Fit it and plug it in.
I relate this story since some have asked me which Fiesta unit to
specifiy at the parts store. Well, now you know "the rest of the story"
--
Brian W. Neuschwander
Beach City Gas Station
Santa Cruz, California
1979 Spitfire, 1965 Spitfire, 1963 Consul Capri
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