Hi guys and gals,
To be correct, should the battery posts be on the left or right side as viewed from the rear of the car please? Anybody know for sure?

Regards
al

If you mean the battery terminals, it can change depending what brand battery you have. I think for memory negative should be towards the front of the car, positive towards the back. Then again I could be completely wrong, I haven't seen my Mini battery in a while, no engine to turn over

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-Wasabi
1972 Clubman - Daily Driver
1962 850 - EW1 Powered

Negative at the back...

Generally posts on the left side, but just make sure the negative terminal is closer to the rear.

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Depends on the battery you buy, some have reversed posts, so you are forced to turn it one way or the other to suit the rear ground strap and your car's polarity.

On twin tanks you should have the battery posts as far away from the tank as you possibly can, otherwise all it takes is for a shifter or similar to lodge between the battery post and the tank and then *kaboom*. (I own some discoloured original S/S bumpers with overriders from a tank fire started this way)

If you don't have twins, I'm pretty sure that they should point towards the drivers side as the battery hold down is on the other side and comes pretty close on some batteries to shorting out the terminals when it is bolted down.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

Don't forget about the polarity of earth , on a mini with an alternator , negative earth , the negative is normally at the back , on a generator mini , positive earth the positive is at the back . Normally the battery cables are long enough that they'll reach either side of the battery to fit the terminals if they are left side , right side or middle .

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Thanks guys,
The trouble is I am trying to establish which way is correct. I am aware that options exist regarding the battery post position and that has nothing to do with the make of battery, it is a specification thing. Mr BMC must have intended it to be one way and I suspect they should be towards the left. The cardboard battery cover kind of confirms this way too, but I just wondered if someone really knew. Thanks anyway.

Regards
Al

I've just looked through all of my brochures (there's just over 100 at the moment) and none show a boot picture without the battery cover , most , if they show the boot at all , only show the boot open but full of suitcases to show what fits ....

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Hi Ian,
That is the exact problem I found when looking through books etc, and the Cooper's seldom are shown without the bootboard in place. The cable cut-outs in the cover make me think the posts might have been towards the left, as I said earlier. Parnells bible shows S's that are not correct and is not of much help at all.

Thanks
Al

Does it matter as long as it works who cares what way the posts are (apart from the safety point of view)

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Starlet Conversion:
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Well, actually, I care. You see, I am into restoration and if you're not piss off from my post.

Al

Al , I've just had a flick through some of my books , and one (mini minor downunder)show's a crashed Cooper S with the terminals on the right , year unknown and another (mini muscle cars 1961-1979) shows an English Clubbie 1275GT with the terminal's on the left ....
The other books I checked are Parnells one you mentioned , The Works Mini's by Peter Browning , The Mini Story by Laurance Pomeroy , Amazing Mini by Peter Filby , Mini by Rob Golding , Mini 25 years on by Rob Golding , Mini After 30 years by Rob Golding and Practical Classics on mini cooper restoration . They all had the normal boot board in or luggage shot's , nothing showing the top of the battery .... I'll check the rest later but you've got me interested now , curious myself to see what was in the original spec .

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Settle down, I'm sure the Leyland/BMC/Morris factory worker's would have done it different on each car

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If it's anything like BMC's usuall quality control you took pot luck and were probably thankful if it had a working battery in it at all . I'll have a look at the various spec sheets I have and see if they list a reccomended battery and see if it's listed anywhere still .

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From even fully original cars, I have seen their posts only on the left hand side.

Hi Mini Mad,
I am only too happy to discuss any aspect of restoration, without imposing my standards on you. Please don't ask me to accept yours.

As with any matter of restoration, what is correct and what is not can only be revealed by research and proof. Your opinion seems to be based on a hunch, which is not acceptable in establishing correctness. Somewhere lies the information I seek and, with the help of others, hopefully we can find it.

Regards
Al