Replacement Fuse Box

[Pete Bags]

Hi all,

I was hoping someone might be able to suggest a suitable modern fuse box I can use to replace the original Lucas unit and now vacant voltage regular with.

My car has an alternator, is negative earth, and over the years has accumulated a growing number of electrical add-ons - with the result that the existing fuse box is getting rather crowded and spaghetti like! New items include 12v socket/usb charging point, hazzard lights, rev counter, electric radiator fan and early 1960's air horns. The headlights are now halogen. I am concerned that too much load could go through a single existing fuse if multiple items are all switched on at once...

I'd like to be able to give many of the electric items their own fuses - I hope this will enable me to pin point any future electric issues with more ease, and no doubt other electrical items will be added in the future, so scope to expand would be useful!

Picture attached is probably a common sight to most of you!

Many thanks in advance,

Pete

IMG_7294.jpg (2.45 MiB) Viewed 2072 times

[geoberni]

Well speaking personally, although I still have a Dynamo, I do have some other 'bits & pieces' fitted, which are powered by lower rated modern fuses fitted behind the glovebox area, drivers side, so hidden from view.

What I would recommend in your case, it you wish to keep a reasonably classic look and not have modern blade fuses on view is something like this :

Fuses.jpg (143.77 KiB) Viewed 2062 times

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Universal-Vi ... SwAdhcbDwi

For anyone reading this in the months or years to come, when the ebay page has been archived, just search ebay for 'Classic Car Fuse Box' and see what turns up...

You did ask about 'Modern' fuse boxes, well ebay is littered with them, taking 4, 6, 8, 12 or more fuses

[simmitc]

Blade type in varying sizes available here:
https://www.vehiclewiringproducts.co.uk ... fuse%20box

When fitting a modern box, note that you will usually need a separate bus/buzz bar to provide individual feeds to each fuse, unless you go for a much larger unit with integrated distribution.

[Pete Bags]

Thank you both for your suggestions! I'm new to this forum but have been viewing for some years, and have benefited from much valuable information from forum members during my ever on-going tinkering of 'Doris'.

The more I look at my wiring, the more I see the protective plastic coating is cracking and deteriorating, exposing the bare wire - I'm sure that some of my elusive and random electrical gremlins are due to the wiring shorting from time to time. As well as fitting a bigger fuse box, I am wondering if I should also bite the bullet and fit a new wiring loom - not something I'd look forward to, but perhaps after 57 years, the old wiring has had it's day...

[Murrayminor]

The more I look at my wiring, the more I see the protective plastic coating is cracking and deteriorating, exposing the bare wire - I'm sure that some of my elusive and random electrical gremlins are due to the wiring shorting from time to time.

If I were you I would chase the bare wires and cover them with tape until you choose what to do next, one bar wire can set your pride and joy alight.
Vehicle electrics scare the living daylights out of me, but I intend to replace the loom on mine in due course to try avoid the issue you have mentioned above.

[jagnut66]

Hi,
I approached renewing my loom with a due sense of foreboding, however having done it I'd happily do another.
Get a proper workshop manual and follow the wiring diagram and associated colour code relative to the year of your car, you may find some highlighters of use to colour code / illuminate things like wiring colour code numbers etc.
Work your way through it slowly and methodically and you will be fine.
Your loom looks as bad as mine was, so I would recommend renewing it.
Don't forget to tell the supplier the year of your car, so you get the right loom.
Once you have a new loom in place, wired to original spec but with addition of an alternator etc., then you can stand back and consider where you want to add inline fuses or how you want to incorporate a new fuse box.
Having done a rewire you will then have a greater understanding of what powers what, plus the colour codes will instantly recognisable (or at least more familiar) and not so scary........
Best wishes,
Mike.

[Sleeper]

Pete
You've done a good job there, nice and tidy,looks like you're capable...why not turn your redundant reg box into a relay/fusebox...a couple of fused relays and some JB weld...cable access from the rear , connectors on the font...

2017_0418regulatorbox0003.JPG (390.26 KiB) Viewed 1945 times

2017_0418regulatorbox0005.JPG (338.1 KiB) Viewed 1945 times

or just a bank of fuses..

John ;-)

[IslipMinor]

I have fitted 2 additional fuse boxes, behind the drivers side dash (have removed the glove box liner). One for ignition-fed circuits and one for non-ignition-fed circuits. They are out of sight, leaving the under-bonnet 'clean' with the original 1958 connections to the fuse box, but allow the use of modern technology to provide fuses for most circuits (I have not fused the headlight circuit (yet?))

For each one I have used a 6-way fuse block from Car Builder Solutions https://www.carbuilder.com/uk/led-indic ... e-fuse-box. They have an integrated 'bus', so only need a single cable connection for the supply, which makes them very easy to install. They work very well indeed, and an LED illuminates if a fuse blows to show which fuse it is - great in the dark!

I am about to 'upgrade' to 10-way blocks https://www.carbuilder.com/uk/led-indic ... e-fuse-box, as most of the 6-way terminals have more than one circuit now.

N.B. They are for negative earth ONLY.

There are now many other suppliers for these fuse boxes, so I would search for the best price.

[geoberni]

Hi,

Don't forget to tell the supplier the year of your car, so you get the right loom.

I would just add a Caution/Caveat to Mike's advice there. A great many early minors have been modified over the years, particularly those that originally had Trafficators. Any fitment of indicators to replace Trafficators could be of a couple of different solutions.

So yes, tell your supplier what year the car is, but also what modifications have been incorporated, including the Alternator!