Battery and Alternator

So after the battery dying on me on the New Year run, I pinched the battery of the wifes Blue TR7 and took the car back to the barn to work on it on last Friday afternoon.
It got me there without problem and seemed to be charging OK.

The rest of the afternoon I chased about for a new battery, firstly having the battery checked, which was confirmed as U/S. Dont know if both my cars wiring is an oddity, but my positive terminal is to the left, which I was told is quite rare on modern batteries of the size I required, I also needed a flat top battery due to the Dis-car-nect device which isolates battery, otherwise I would have to modify cables, again difficult to find as most have an inbuilt handle.

After trying 3 tyre and battery places I eventually found a Unipart battery to fit, this was duly fitted on Sunday, alternator was checked and appeared to be charging OK. No time to have a run out on the Sunday as I had homework!! seized float valve on water tank in loft.

New battery fitted.

So come this Fridays early finish from work, I pick the car up from the barn, get a couple of miles down the road and the ignition warning light comes on and stays on. Pull over, turn off, start up, no warning light, off we go again only for ignition light to come on again when near home. At home, a quick check with the meter confirms not charging. So I took off the alternator, checked the brushes which to my untrained eye look OK, and gave it a good clean out, plenty of dust in there which was cleaned away. What I can see of the diodes looks ok, ie: no burn marks and all wiring contacts look OK. After re-fitting the unit the light is on straight away, and still not charging. Not a lot else I can do, so looks as though its gonna swallow more money. Will pinch the alternator of GIlls FHC for a week or so.