Hi everyone,

after owning a JCW clubman for a few years I went and imported this from Japan:



I've just been poking around to see what's been done to it over the years, and I noticed two electrical sockets cable tied just behind the grille. Does anyone know what these are? Are these for spotlights?





I'm fairly pleased with the overall condition, not much rust at all. From what I've read and images I've seen I think it's not the standard rover front, is that a MK1 front end?

Thanks,

James

That's a heavily customised Rover Mini - from the sticker on the front guard it's been to AlecMini in Japan "British Interesting House"
http://www.alecmini.co.jp

The front grille is a Mk1 Cooper/Deluxe type, the front bumper has been replaced with the fibreglass chin spoiler type and probably many other items too. Do you have a switch on the inside for the spotlights?

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I don't think so, there's only four switches



Yeah I knew it wasn't a stock mini, we were going for one with the least rust possible. Very pleased once I got it, it runs really nice.

I'd like to put the spotlights on it, but I think that would mean refitting the stock bumpers? A bit of chrome on it would be nice.

Time to get your multi-meter out to see what current is present on those connectors in various situations. Test with ignition off, then on, then lights on low, then on high, etc. Also check the wire colours and see if you can trace them back to a source.

They do look like driving/fog light connectors to me.

Edit: Is that yellow with blue trace (or vice versa) at the LHS connector? The black will probably be earth.

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ex-NSW Police 1970 MK II Cooper S
VMCI #43

Yeah I thought a multi-meter might be the way to go.

I've tried tracing them back to the source, they disappear into the wiring loom pretty quickly.

James - how is your back? I ask because a next option is to have a good look under the dash to see if they were once connected to a switch. If you don't have a bad back now you probably will after trying to poke around in that small space.

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ex-NSW Police 1970 MK II Cooper S
VMCI #43

Thank you for the link to the Alec Mini Speed website! I think I found my car, and it looks like it did originally have spotlights

http://www.alecmini.co.jp/evolution/98y ... iteMT.html

If they look like the are part of the original wiring loom rather than added in afterwards then a wiring diagram might have the answer.

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ex-NSW Police 1970 MK II Cooper S
VMCI #43

Wow, nice bit of history there.

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ex-NSW Police 1970 MK II Cooper S
VMCI #43