I just replaced the battery with a new one. I took a voltage ready at the terminals on the battery, with the motor running. I had 12 volts. I then turned the A/C on max. and it dropped down to 11.8 volts. The battery light still stays on...ive checked all the fuses which some were burnt but none that are significant to the charging system.

 

It's probably your alternator. You should have 13.8 to 14.4 volts when the battery is being charged by the alternator. Try reving the engine in Park to about 2500 RPM very briefly...some times that will kick the alt into working. In any case it may be worth your time to remove the alternator and bring it for testing.

 

One of the newest Wheeler Dealers episodes , they had an exact symptoms as yours and it turned out to be a new alternator replacement , as ics indicated your alternator might be culprit because it fails to feed the battery with sufficient voltage

 

As stated above, you need an alternator.
You have a alt gauge, top left within the instrument panel. When the car is running that needle should be to the right of center.

 

yeah, its on one of the hash marks...the thicker one below the halfway mark...

 

Then you are in need of an alternator.

 

thanks guys, again....

think I will remove this alt. and see if i can rebuild this alt. or go to a local rebuild company and have them do it for me BUT for sure I want to buy the rebuild kit( brushes) at the very least, take it apart and check it out myself....cant be much different than any other alt. ive fixed....but then again, this is a British made vehicle, correct? I'll need to break out my spanners

I've worked on British made aircraft, they really put engineering on a different level.

any idea where I can find an alt. rebuild kit? in the meantime, i'll check out eBay...