Police TC - ignition coil

Discussion of TABC-related matters
Post Reply
User avatar
Tim Jackson
Posts: 100
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2013 8:49 am
Location: Scottish Borders, UK

Police TC - ignition coil

Post by Tim Jackson » Sun Jan 20, 2013 5:40 am

Here are a couple of photos of my police TC bulkhead. The battery box is larger than a standard TC, and the battery/toolbox combo is positioned differently on the bulkhead. And the coil and fuel pump are mounted in different positions. I have the high tension lead exiting upwards from the coil. Is this correct? If downwards, the lead is squeezed up against the bulkhead. Any thoughts from police TC owners?
Cheers, Tim Jackson
TC0999, TC1202
Attachments
bulkhead 1.jpg
bulkhead 2.jpg

User avatar
stephen stierman
Posts: 440
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 6:12 pm
Location: worthington, ohio USA

Re: Police TC - ignition coil

Post by stephen stierman » Sun Jan 20, 2013 7:53 am

Looks nice, mount the coil upside down though to be correct.

User avatar
Steve Simmons
Site Admin
Posts: 2635
Joined: Wed Dec 26, 2012 10:48 am
Location: Southern California
Contact:

Re: Police TC - ignition coil

Post by Steve Simmons » Sun Jan 20, 2013 9:17 am

Very interesting, thanks for posting the photos. I wonder, was the battery larger on the police cars to help run the added equipment? Or perhaps a second battery was used?

Is your car restored as a police car or as a standard version?
1949 TC8975 / XPAG 9609
1948 TC6011 / XPEG1182 (XPAG6472)
http://www.mgnuts.com

User avatar
Tim Jackson
Posts: 100
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2013 8:49 am
Location: Scottish Borders, UK

Re: Police TC - ignition coil

Post by Tim Jackson » Sun Jan 20, 2013 3:24 pm

Stephen, Thanks. I’ve tried the coil upside down (lead downwards), which is certainly correct for a standard TC. However, due to the lower coil position on the ‘modified’ police bulkhead, the original Lucas Q12 coil doesn’t fit at all well with the lead downwards.
946 TC0999 / XPAG 1638
restore note

User avatar
Tim Jackson
Posts: 100
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2013 8:49 am
Location: Scottish Borders, UK

Re: Police TC - ignition coil

Post by Tim Jackson » Sun Jan 20, 2013 3:39 pm

Steve - I assume the larger battery box was for extra battery capacity for police equipment. I don’t know if it was for one or two batteries. Strangely, the captive ‘hold down’ nuts at the bottom of the battery box are positioned for a standard size single battery.

I retained the modified police features of the bodywork, but not police regalia (signs, klaxon, etc). So far as I know, these items varied between police forces.
TC0999, TC1202
Attachments
TC0999 bonnet bulge.jpg
TC0999.jpg

User avatar
stephen stierman
Posts: 440
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 6:12 pm
Location: worthington, ohio USA

Re: Police TC - ignition coil

Post by stephen stierman » Sun Jan 20, 2013 5:18 pm

One pretty TC!

Peter deBruyn
Posts: 51
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2013 1:22 pm
Location: Saratoga Springs, NY

Re: Police TC - ignition coil

Post by Peter deBruyn » Mon Feb 04, 2013 1:27 pm

Hi Tim -
Stunning restoration, VERY cool car. I've always been fascinated by the TC Police cars and had read about the larger battery box and generator bulge - but until your car I'd never seen photos of these - holy cow that generator bulge is positively enormous! Big enough for two - do you know the specs on the generators used in these cars? And if they did use the standard Lucas Q12 coil, I'm sure you have it mounted correctly - is it possible they used something different, with a bracket nearer the "head" of the coil? Any responses from other Police car owners? I look forward to more photos in the next Totally T-Type II. Maybe the battery box housed some radio equipment as well, or ...?
Best Regards,
Pete in the USA
TC0252
TC2903

User avatar
Tim Jackson
Posts: 100
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2013 8:49 am
Location: Scottish Borders, UK

Re: Police TC - ignition coil

Post by Tim Jackson » Wed Feb 06, 2013 11:34 am

Pete - many thanks for the kind words.

I don’t have any technical information on equipment installed in TCs destined for police use. My guess is that the factory offered modifications for police use, but each force had its own requirements, with some choosing standard TCs (presumably cheaper). I do know the ‘sister’ TC to mine (TC0998), registered with Hertfordshire police on the same day, had the same large dynamo bulge, as this is mentioned in the book, ‘MGs on Patrol’. These might be unusual, who knows?

On my car, the sidescreen box had a 30mm diameter hole above left side chassis rail (matching those on the bulkhead). This was probably for additional wiring for radio gear, loudspeaker, etc. I’ve filled the hole to prevent road splash getting in.

Only one police TC owner responded, and he couldn’t detect any changes from a standard TC. You may be right that a different coil or bracket was used.

Regards,
Tim
946 TC0999 / XPAG 1638
restore note

i.thomson
Posts: 56
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 10:16 am

Re: Police TC - ignition coil

Post by i.thomson » Thu Feb 07, 2013 5:05 am

I'll bet they had a Runbaken oil coil or something similar rather than the Q12. Keep an eye open for one under someone else's bonnet and measure it up to see how it matches up.

Ian Thomson
Notts UK

User avatar
Tim Jackson
Posts: 100
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2013 8:49 am
Location: Scottish Borders, UK

Re: Police TC - ignition coil

Post by Tim Jackson » Thu Feb 07, 2013 9:01 am

Ian - you might well be right, though I think oil-filled coils are usually mounted with terminals upwards. It could explain the lower mount position on the bulkhead than the standard TC. As you suggest, I’ll keep an eye out for this setup on other cars.

Thanks and regards,

Tim
946 TC0999 / XPAG 1638
restore note

User avatar
Gene Gillam
Posts: 1273
Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2013 4:52 pm
Location: Saucier, MS

Re: Police TC - ignition coil

Post by Gene Gillam » Thu Feb 07, 2013 12:00 pm

Check with John Twist at University Motors....he has a restored police car in his showroom I believe.
http://universitymotorsltd.com/

User avatar
Tim Jackson
Posts: 100
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2013 8:49 am
Location: Scottish Borders, UK

Re: Police TC - ignition coil

Post by Tim Jackson » Fri Feb 08, 2013 1:25 am

Many thanks Gene. I'll follow-up on that.

Tim
946 TC0999 / XPAG 1638
restore note

User avatar
Steve Simmons
Site Admin
Posts: 2635
Joined: Wed Dec 26, 2012 10:48 am
Location: Southern California
Contact:

Re: Police TC - ignition coil

Post by Steve Simmons » Fri Feb 08, 2013 9:36 am

I have an oil coil in my car. I would be happy to post a photo tonight if it would help.
1949 TC8975 / XPAG 9609
1948 TC6011 / XPEG1182 (XPAG6472)
http://www.mgnuts.com

User avatar
Tim Jackson
Posts: 100
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2013 8:49 am
Location: Scottish Borders, UK

Re: Police TC - ignition coil

Post by Tim Jackson » Sat Feb 09, 2013 5:31 am

Steve, Thanks, I'd appreciate a photo of your oil coil, offsite if you like.
946 TC0999 / XPAG 1638
restore note

User avatar
Steve Simmons
Site Admin
Posts: 2635
Joined: Wed Dec 26, 2012 10:48 am
Location: Southern California
Contact:

Re: Police TC - ignition coil

Post by Steve Simmons » Sat Feb 09, 2013 8:25 am

I forgot the coil is out of the car at the moment, but here are a couple older photos I found that may help a little.
Attachments
Runbaken Oil Coil
Runbaken Oil Coil
coil1.jpg (53.21 KiB) Viewed 9130 times
Runbaken Oil Coil
Runbaken Oil Coil
coil2.jpg (51.86 KiB) Viewed 9130 times
1949 TC8975 / XPAG 9609
1948 TC6011 / XPEG1182 (XPAG6472)
http://www.mgnuts.com

User avatar
Tim Jackson
Posts: 100
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2013 8:49 am
Location: Scottish Borders, UK

Re: Police TC - ignition coil

Post by Tim Jackson » Sat Feb 09, 2013 12:24 pm

Steve, many thanks for posting photos of the Runbaken oil coil in your TC. As I thought, its mounted with terminals facing upwards. Do you know why this coil was fitted instead of the standard Lucas Q12 coil? Was there any police connection? Thanks again.
946 TC0999 / XPAG 1638
restore note

User avatar
Steve Simmons
Site Admin
Posts: 2635
Joined: Wed Dec 26, 2012 10:48 am
Location: Southern California
Contact:

Re: Police TC - ignition coil

Post by Steve Simmons » Sat Feb 09, 2013 3:21 pm

They were a pre-war performance accessory so you sometimes see them on racing cars or other sports cars where the owner was trying to boost performance.
1949 TC8975 / XPAG 9609
1948 TC6011 / XPEG1182 (XPAG6472)
http://www.mgnuts.com

User avatar
Tim Jackson
Posts: 100
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2013 8:49 am
Location: Scottish Borders, UK

Re: Police TC - ignition coil

Post by Tim Jackson » Fri Oct 21, 2022 4:32 am

I'm trying to reclaim the original registration number for TC0999 from the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA) in UK
In this context, does anyone have a photo of the large bonnet bulge on another police TC?
946 TC0999 / XPAG 1638
restore note

Post Reply