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 Posted: Jul 28, 2017 10:54AM
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By interior i meant dash pictures and the wiper/turn signal stalks on the steering column along with the rocker switches will narrow it down. The wiper motor and boot lid lock are date stamped along with other parts ie: 24 85 which would be the 24th week of 1985 for production. If you have the speedo in front of you it is probably newer than 1972 more like late 70's early 80's and the wires will be under the dash maybe green and green with a grey or purple trace just check for power and clip them together and the brake lights should work.
You need to find out the correct year so you can order parts correctly in the future.

If in doubt, flat out. Colin Mc Rae MBE 1968-2007.

Give a car more power and it goes faster on the straights,
make a car lighter and it's faster everywhere. Colin Chapman.

 Posted: Jul 28, 2017 06:08AM
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To answer the year of make questions, I'm not sold on the year.  It seems to have bits from various ages on it.  Basically I'd be safe to say it's a Mk III.  An interior picture would do no good as it has nothing in it right now but the rear seat (recovered).  The way it came it had the big gauge binnacle behind the steering wheel not the center style older models have.  It had had an engine swap somewhere along the way, per the PO.  It does have the wires on the master cylinder and the switch wires under the dash, nothing along the brake lines.  So maybe the brakes were modified somewhere along the way.  Thanks all.

 Posted: Jul 27, 2017 06:29PM
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Are you sure this car is a 1972 ? Not trying to rain on your parade just trying to determine what year your Mini is as some of the things described were not on 1972 models.

Post a picture of the car inside and out we may be able to figure out the correct year if it is not a 1972.

Remember just because the title says it is a 1972 does not mean it is correct.

If in doubt, flat out. Colin Mc Rae MBE 1968-2007.

Give a car more power and it goes faster on the straights,
make a car lighter and it's faster everywhere. Colin Chapman.

 Posted: Jul 27, 2017 04:57PM
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Your brake light switch is hydraulic and is located on the right side of the front subframe. If you look under the right hand wheel arch and follow the brake hose Thats where the switch is, now look under the hood and you will find it....................I'll not comment on swopping out to a mechanical switch thats up to you..............................................

Mini's are like buses they come along in a bunch

 Posted: Jul 27, 2017 10:43AM
mur
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A 1972 mini would not have wires to the master cylinder. It may have a pressure differential switch on the firewall, and the rocker switch would confirm that the bulb functions. I expect it has a hydraulic brake lamps switch.

 Posted: Jul 27, 2017 09:42AM
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The brake test switch was working, then it quit.  I found that issue, the ground wire on the master cylinder looked to be connected, but inside the female connector it had broken off.  A new connector and that works fine.  I don't see anything down below the master cylinder nor are there any wires down there.  I also don't see an L shaped bracket on the pedal housing, could it be something that just gets screwed into one of the holes in the housing?  All the holes seem to be on the side of the housing where the switch wouldn't work correctly.  I've got a couple spare wires under the dash that I can try.  I know one was the the rear fog light that I'm not putting back on.  It isn't very foggy in Michigan and I doubt I'd take it out in a bad fog anyway.

 Posted: Jul 27, 2017 09:30AM
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US
I understand it differently. If your fluid goes low (front or rear), the light on the switch comes on by itself. Pressing the switch is just a test of the light to make sure it will work when need be.

 Posted: Jul 27, 2017 09:08AM
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CA
... and yes, the two wires to the top of the master cylinder connect to a built-in float valve. When you press the brake-test light, it reads whether you have enough brake fluid.

.

"Hang on a minute lads....I've got a great idea."

 Posted: Jul 26, 2017 02:48PM
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If you have the two brake switch wires next to the master cylinder and they are original to the car you should have the mechanical switch which fits as Mur described. Look for two wires under the dash by the pedal box and if you connect them to each other your brake lights should work. There should be an L angle bracket on the pedal box where the switch mounts. Switches are available at any parts store i have found suitable ones for less than 10 bucks at Napa before.
A lot of owners are experiencing failure of the hydraulic switches and converting to the mechanical ones, if yours was hydraulic you can just extend the wires and fit the later type.

If in doubt, flat out. Colin Mc Rae MBE 1968-2007.

Give a car more power and it goes faster on the straights,
make a car lighter and it's faster everywhere. Colin Chapman.

 Posted: Jul 26, 2017 01:43PM
mur
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Your car may have been built with a hydraulic brake lamps switch. These were generally mounted at the union where the brake line goes down to the front subframe, and the line around to the left side of the car joins the main line and the flex line and the switch all at the same place. Some people prefer mechanical switches like you just mentioned, fitted to the pedal box and tripped when the brake pedal moves downward.

 Posted: Jul 26, 2017 01:23PM
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I've been trying to figure out why the brake lights don't work on my 72 restoration project.  I was searching the forum and found that there is a brake switch.  It looks like a simple little plastic switch with two wire connectors and a threaded part and what looks like a little plunger.  I was thinking something was missing.  I don't seem to have the old one anywhere in the parts bin, but a new one is dirt cheap so I'd probably buy one anyway.  My question is where does it go?  I didn't do the disassembly so I can't try and dredge my memory.  Does it go through the firewall and the pedal or arm is supposed to push it?  If so, how high up the firewall?  Unfortunately I've got heat shielding in already.  Or is it supposed to somehow connect to the pedal assembly and get triggered by pushing against something?  One other question, are the two wires that are connected to the top of the brake master cylinder for the brake test switch only?  
One other question would be which side is the power in and which the power out to the brake lights?
Thanks for any help anyone can provide.