Points

The patient but keen car mechanic has plenty to occupy their time when it comes to looking after the older car. Points and the setting of the points is one of those jobs which could be described as ‘fiddly’. Armed with a set of feeler gauges, the mechanic will painstakingly set the points to their recommended gap, knowing that over the next few months the whole exercise will have to be repeated. That is the joy of looking after or restoring an older vehicle which is fitted with the old style ignition systems.

Two of the main components in that system are the points and condenser, and both have to be in good working order for the car to start. A failure in the points and condenser on an older vehicle can result in a lot of ignition attempts failing and the inevitable sound of the battery going flat. Then it is back to square one and looking to find if there is a need for points replacement or it is just a matter of adjustment. If there is a call for points replacement, it is not an expensive thing to sort out, but it is time consuming.

The well established companies in the British motor car industry are there to supply these items which are so vital in the whole car ignition system. So the likes of Lucas points will be used as a standard for the professional garage mechanic, as well as the hobby car enthusiast. In fact this stalwart of the electrical aspects of car ignition systems has been around for a long time. Getting the Lucas points is easy enough through one of the online stores which specialise in classic cars. Equally a supplier will be able to get a Lucas condenser delivered quickly and that is one of the beauties of internet trading. Gone are the days of trawling around retail stores trying to find the right components. The books on all the different make and models made selecting the right one something of a nightmare, whereas now it is simply a matter of going onto a site and doing a search for the right part. It could be that a number of different makes are available, but it is accepted that the Lucas condenser and any other of their components will be good for the job.

However for the German car there may be a call for a set of Bosch points and these would probably have been fitted on the original car. The manufacturer is equally well established as its British counterpart, and has an equally good reputation for quality. The Bosch points will definitely do the job required and as with all things made in Germany, they are solid and high quality. That quality of engineering spreads right across the industry, and for those with a keen interest in the classic cars of Europe there is a fantastic museum in Stuttgart which features a history of the Mercedes Benz. In the city which is synonymous with the German car industry there is also a museum dedicated to Porsche. Both of these famous names will have Bosch points and condenser fitted as standard. Anyone who knows about high performance cars will appreciate that having such high grade ignition and electrical systems in cars helps in all sorts of ways, including fuel consumption. So getting the car kitted out with high quality Bosch points and condenser will eventually be a cost saving on running expenses.

All this work is taken on readily and the enthusiast with a keenness only the really dedicated can display. It’s a work of love and care to spend a weekend under the bonnet, tweaking this, and adjusting that. For the non-believer, it may seem a hobby with little value but nothing could be further from the truth. The car which has had the attention in the main areas such as adjusting the breaker points and condenser renewal will be happy in the knowledge that the car is in tip top shape and may have gained in value after all the work has been completed. It cannot be denied that the attention to detail and accuracy is vital when working on the breaker points and condenser but it is time well spent.

At the end of the day, there are two kind of car owner. There is the one who leaves the car with the main dealer and then collects it in the evening, and there are the ones who take great pride in keeping an older vehicle running - and running well.