I have a CF 1 Cutout--it needs a rewind and checkover. Can anyone tell me who can do this for me.

Location: Vancouver Canada

Ken, if there is someone near you who deals in Ford Model A stuff, you could check out their little diode kits that they sell, to replace the cut-out. I have used one of these in my 1937 Fiat 500 for years - gives no trouble at all. Cost me about $NZ17.00 if I recall rightly. Maybe not for the absolute purist regarding originality, but it is inside the original Delco or Autolite style cut-out case and no one can see it. Works on 6 or 12 volts but it IS polarity sensitive so needs to be connected the right way. The Fiat has a 3 brush dynamo and a resistance to reduce the charge rate when not using headlights, and the diode system has no effect on this. Has anyone out there tried one of these in an Austin 7?

Location: Wellington NZ

Ken and Ivan, I have used a bridge rectifyer successfully [I had one in a box] to replace the cut out on a Ruby. Have a look at South Wales Austin Seven Club web page; Technical articals " The Welsh Poet" Di Ode!!! restarts the charge. John

Location: South Wales

Good scheme John. After all a bridge rectifier is just a set of four diodes, so you would just have to hook up one of them, and you have 3 spares!
We have to remember about the polarity. I got mine the wrong way round to start with. Fortunately did not ruin anything and easy to fix.

Location: Wellington NZ