Battery cover

[Daz1968]

Can anyone confirm if the mk2 cooper with boot board would still have the cardboard cover and strap on the battery, just when I was looking at parts book I am not 100% sure that cars with boot boards have one, thanks

[Charlynsane]

as for me MK2 cooper used to have the same setup than mk1

My unrestored cooper mk2 came with cardboard cover and strap

FYI the mk1 and 2 used to have a different battery bar of the rest of the production

[Peter Laidler]

Nope, a Mk2 Cooper WITH a boot board didn't have a battery cover or rubberised strap. No need as the battery terminals were protected by the boot board. Had the battery clamp of course

[mk1]

I have had a couple of unrestored Coopers S's over the years, both MK1 & MK2 & all of the complete un-faffed about with cars cars DID have a battery cover & rubber strap.

Not conclusive, but fairly compelling I would say.

[mk1]

I hate being wrong, but when I am, I'm big enough to admit it.

The above is taken from the MK2 parts list on the main site.

[Andrew1967]

That says 'Not UK ... except Cooper, Riley and Wolseley'

I think you were right originally Mark, if I interpret that correctly ?!

[Daz1968]

That’s the page I saw which points towards cooper not having one, also the boot board page shows different hook bolts for the battery clamp as well. Have been trying to find some original factory photos to confirm but can’t find any, the cover only appears to be different from uk on non coopers. I have had a couple of pms which pretty much confirm there was not one fitted, so will be leaving it out until proven different.
Anyone know if mk2 cars had inside of battery box satin black.

[Charlynsane]

I hate being wrong, but when I am, I'm big enough to admit it.

The above is taken from the MK2 parts list on the main site.

Hello Mark

Always interested to share with you

When I get my 997 63 cooper, totally original and unrestored, it used to have the original cream battery strap attached on it

When My best friend got his inno MK1 used to have a typic plastic battery cover but no rubber strap

My father's mk2 cooper used to have also have the battery cover and the cream rubber strap, is it a french specie??

[Peter Laidler]

This matter was looked into at some length by those that peer reviewed the JP T-O-M-C book and a picture that squeezed through while it was being investigated was later corrected by, I think, John Kelly. It transpired that the cover was a ministry of transport (or whatever it was then) fire safety related part to protect the exposed battery from loose (metal) items in the boot. It wasn't a requirement when the boot board was fitted as the battery terminals were effectively protected by the wooden cover and the loose( odds and sods? but boxed?jack) were above it. The battery clamp was fitted of course.

This ain't nor never will be definitive but the two I have purchased new DIDN'T have a cover. BUT, my police S definately DID have the little strap hook, albeit rotten - which I left off. But, no cover or strap.

I can see this runnnnnnning for a while

[mk1]

Andy,

As I read the parts list it says that the 14A8098 Cover is NOT UK.

But the 14A7020 Cover is for all UK cars, apart from Cooper, Riley & Wolseley.

This would reflect the general thrust of the info in the thread.

This applies to MK2 cars.

However, having hunted through parts lists, I can't find the corresponding info on MK1 cars. Any ideas?

[NickD]

The AKD3509 Cooper parts book doesn't show the battery cover - just the fixing bar and rods, and doesn't list the 14A7020 cover in the part number index. However, the AKD3502 850 version does show the cover (Plate N1 in both manuals), and the drawing in AKD3509 is clearly just a revision of the AKD3502 version as the 850 version has drawing number B.2063A while the Cooper version has B.2063B. Someone in the drawing office therefore seems to have taken the trouble to perform this update just to remove the cover from the Cooper version, which to me implies that it wasn't a standard fitment. Maybe cars that did have the covers had these as a dealer fitment?

[mk1]

That all makes perfect sense Nick.

[Andrew1967]

Fair enough. A good bit of detective work there

I just read the manual as ‘Not UK’ ..... ‘except Cooper etc’ , from left to right as printed.

However, evidence proves otherwise ....

[apblake]

Here is an example of a 26K mile unrestored Cooper S that did have what was clearly a very old (presumably original) batter cover: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1964- ... ooper-s-2/

Here is another example of a highly original 31K mile Cooper S with a battery cover (although this car had a second tank installed so it is conceivable that when that was done somebody thought they should add a cover): https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1964- ... ooper-s-6/

Both of the above examples were US cars. It seems from the research on this thread that these cars were not supposed to have the covers, but looking at the above as well as the other examples where others on this thread have seen original Coopers with battery covers it seems like the factory may have deviated from the specs. I could easily imagine whoever the person who's job it was to install the covers on non-Coopers just simply forgetting and putting them on Coopers.

[360gts]

No reference in any of my MK1 parts books for the Riley Elf, Hornet, Cooper and S....this is what the AKD parts book shows for all those models.
No strap...no cover

[apblake]

Yeah I’m questioning whether the cars were actually built according to those specs.

[111Robin]

Is it not generally the case (although obviously there are exceptions) that cars fitted with boot boards had no requirement for a battery cover ?.

[apblake]

It would seem not, but there also seem to be a number of examples of highly original cars that have the battery covers. Seems like a very strange thing to have added as an aftermarket part (it isn't something that you look at and feel is unsafe if there is a boot board in place). So if they are showing up on cars then it seems likely to me that they were perhaps accidentally added on the line.

[Peter Laidler]

As I seem to recall being told - and certainly at MG, the car went onto the line together with its contents fed in from the side, together with an assembly card and went along with it to each work station. The battery was one of and probably the last item to be fitted, in order to test-up the electricals and given a very small slurp of petrol to eventually fire-up the engine.

To my common sense approach it'd seem strange to have a battery cover on the line when Coopers and S's were passing along. I could be wrong of course. But if a battery cover floats your boat, the battery cover it is.

[Toby]

From what I've found they weren't used prior to June 63