BATTERY SAFETY

Q: The electrical system appears to have been wired in such a way as to not
allow the truck to sit idle (ie turned off) without draining the battery.

A: (Norm Booth)
The battery must be disconnected when not in use.

This should not be too tough to find with a inexpensive voltmeter (multimeter). The
ignition switch should shut off the ignition. It could be a faulty switch, if it does
not completely do so. As I remember, your car has a radio in it, does it not?. You
could be accidentally leaving the radio on, which will drain the battery in short
order. Are you leaving any lights on? Check the stop light and see if it stays on.

I'll tell you what I ALWAYS do with ALL of my old cars, without exception.(I presently
own 14 old cars, 12 of which are American Austins and Bantams) I ALWAYS either
physically disconnect the battery cable or use a special battery disconnect switch
EVERY time I leave the car unattended, even if it is for only a few minutes. Why? With
old cars, there is always a imminant chance of a short circuit with a resulting
devastating fire. Many hobbyists have learned this the hard way.

Another thing I ALWAYS do with my American Austins and Bantams when I park the car is
to shut off the gas cock on the firewall mounted gasoline tank. Once again, there is
always that imminant chance of fire, if you do not. If the carburetor float sticks or
the needle valve does not seat properly, gasoline can leak and cause a fire. REPEAT:
With your Bantam, please ALWAYS disconnect the battery AND shut off the gas cock
whenever you park your car, even for a few minutes.
.