Thanks everyone for all the great reasons to switch over. Can I still run an original looking generator that’s 12 volts? I want the experience of what it was like in the late 40’s early 50’s for the kids that drove these hot rods.
I didn't mean by the corporations. I meant by us, the schmucks who inherited the technology and had to deal with it in our older pre-war Fords and even those from the early Fifties. Sure, the Big Effing Three always did what they thought was right for their own interests. I was thinking about how we ended up with transistors the other day, and realized it was through Bell Labs, if I remember right who thought out that little gizmo of a valve that was such a godsend, and certainly the precursor of the computer chip. And, like all those nifty gadgets that trickle down from Area 51, har har, the slobs who benefit don't even have to remember to say a few words of thanks when they say grace. But, then, some of us want to use the new on the old, and by that I meant those of us who actually drove the old stuff back when it was still old stuff and not rare stuff, we decided. Got it? Just like someone decided that mechanical fuel injection and the computerized fuel injection could be married in a convenient look-alike contest. And, guess who won? That's what 'we' do. Those of us who put Chevy engines in old Fords, or Hemis, or whatever the hell we want to do, and call it progressive traditionalism. A whole new take on being what is called a HOODLUM on this site. And, trust me: HOODLUMS RULE!!!
Yep 12 volt generators work great also. Ive got one in my 51 Chevy. But ive also run the stock 6v sytem for years without a hiccup on the same veh. I only changed to 12v with a generator because the clutch quit and i had a 61 261 waiting for the right time to take the reigns. And the 261 was a 12v motor and it had the 12v generator with it. So it was a no brainer. 6volt starters love 12volts by the way. I also like the look of a 12v gen over the alternator to boot.
I still run a 6 volt system on my '37 Buick. I have a 6 volt alternator, last battery lasted nearly 6 years, and the alternator keeps my 6 volt lights shining bright. But of course the Buick has a 3-position light switch, so I can have both high and low beams on simultaneously.
Still running six v. Batteries last 5 to 7 years, carry a jumper box to power GPS and charge the wife's cell phone. And jump starts if needed. As for the head lamps watts are watts. Changed out my 70 year old headlamps with newer 6v, redid the grounds they are plenty bright. Carry a small box with replacement bulbs, have a pair of fog light that I can see by if a headlamp goes out. But in the summer I am usually home when it gets dark, or in the hotel hot tub if we are travelling. Only failure in past 15years was a thrown fan belt.ⁿ
Several of us in the Studebaker Drivers Club installed 6 volt alternators (we got the idea from the Model A guys) so that our headlights are BRIGHT when idling at the stop signs. The trick to 6 volt is put in the biggest battery cables you can find. But your ammeter won't work anymore.
I drove 53 Ranch wagon for years with a 6volt alternator. I thought the headlights were nice and bright. I had trouble with hot starts with the generator. no more issues after the alternator conversion.
The "experience" of what it was like back then, is a pain in the you know what, notice they ditched all that stuff as soon as they could. I guess if you really you want to be authentic there's no fake parts allowed is there? Some of the earliest troubleshooting and repair I learned was simply because I didn't have any extra money laying around to just throw parts at it till eventually everything was mo' bettah. I was sometimes, not always, rewarded with the knowledge that very simple and easily corrected faults can mimic very expensive problems. Measure, don't guess! And regular inspection and preventive maintenance checks and services meant things worked correctly and lasted ten times longer. Just crawling around underneath with a grease gun lubing zerks, a fella with a sharp eye very often will find something else that needs attention right away.
It looks like you are doing a complete build that likely is going to get all new wiring. If it is close to a clean sheet build why not go 12V? To reiterate what others have said about lighting. I had a 6V car when I was in college and dreaded driving it at night on the bald prairie. It was like it had next to no lights. Sometimes a car would pull out to pass an oncoming car to drive right at me. I took the shoulder a couple times to stay alive. The car was a PIA so eventually I carried a spare battery so if it was really stubborn starting then I put the batteries in series to do a 12V start. Then it started. The only plus was when the battery was dead it was easy to push it and let the clutch out to start. I had basically the same car in 12V as my next car. There is no comparison in the brightness of lights and overall happiness. 12V also gives a much wider range of products that may be used to best complete the car the way you want. The difference between 12V and 6V is the 12V does the same work with 1/2 the amps to need a system with less amp capacity. That is why guys are saying to use the thumb sized battery cables. 6V is like a large diameter pipe with 1/2 the pressure to deliver the same volume of water as a smaller pipe with 2X the pressure. It takes twice the amps in the 6V system.
Patterg2003; that water analogy was the best I’ve ever heard to explain 6V vs 12V! Now from my memory as a kid growing up driving 54,55 & 56, chevy & Oldsmobile’s, I spent quite a few hours along the roadside each year until someone give me a ride home or found a phone to call dad to come tow me home. So I guess if one wants to experience what it was like in the old days, leave your cell phone at home & drive your car. Then pull over in a less than ideal spot off the road & wait for a ride home or walk to a business with a phone, (remember no cell phones then) & call a buddy to tow ya home! While I’m driving my 37 with 6 volts, I would never choose 6 volts if I was building something. I hope you figure it out & spend more time enjoying the drive!!! Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
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