My wife's 52 has a 6V system but a 8V battery. Last night she followed me home from a car show and unknown to us the headlights were out of adjustment. As a result the low beams were now the highs, These were the brightest lights I have ever had behind me!! She finally noticed my hand over the rear view mirror and the smoke coming off the back of my head so she switched to high beams which put the lights over the top of the car. I'm still waiting for a call for the FAA on that.

We adjusted the lights this morning. The other lights on the truck are ok, front signals are tough to see at night because the headlights are so bright and the rears are tough to see because they are so small.

 

I went 12 volt in my 52 last year. My wiring was shot, modified with lamp cord, many splices just scary. Used the speedway harness, got a GM Alternator and am glad I did. Got a way to use my GPS, cellphone, Ipod, can get a jump when I break down, or give one when someone needs it. Yeah its not original but neither are radials or unleaded gas. Its 2013!

 

My 6 volt battery lasted 10 years in my 54...

 

My 54 is and will stay 6 volt. I do not have a radio, and other power sucking extras. It is neat to have. I was a history teacher for 33 years and I guess I like to keep things as they were in their day.

Make sure you use '0' or '00' gauge cables from batt to starter and from batt to ground, etc. and make sure you have clean grounds. If you have all this your truck will start easily. With 6 volts it may not crank as long but it will crank as fast as 12 volts.

 

I switched over to 12v even though I didn't really "have" to... after I was 12v, I changed the 1 vaccum wiper to dual electric wiper and added a radio.

All the technical details above aside, probably the biggest 3 things for me were:
1) dead battery after 45 seconds of cranking... either you got it to start on the first 2 tries or you were looking for a jump
2) that #1 mentioned jump... nobody wants to give you a hand anymore, everyone honks and blazes past... the ever so helpful a-hole who screams "call a tow truck" as they zoom past.
3) headlights brightness. when I drove it home headlight brightness was basically nill. My escort truck behind me lit up more of the path in front of me than I did.

things I have come to appreciate:
1) headlight brightness (still not a modern plastic bulb though it is glass and not as bright)
2) radio
3) electric windshield wipers

things I have grumbled about / cost me more money.
1) alternator (went cheap and got a $19.99 junkyard instead of a $120+ new) - still cost me and it definitely doesn't look original.
2) intimidation / time... I had money at first but no time, then I had time and no money... I should have said screw it to all the intimidation factor and started my rewire a lot sooner - gotten it on the road (still a few pieces of original cloth covered, but mostly everything had been cut)


I've never blown a fuse.
I've never had to get a jump since going to 12v.
I have jumped myself twice - both times I spent too much time cranking and diagnosing, thereby killing my own battery.
I buy batteries at costco same day instead of ordering them or driving 75 miles to a tractor place.
I have jumpstarted a full size diesel dually ford truck.
I've offered to jumpstart some 6v folks - all of which even after I explained how to do it, what to do, what not to do, risks involved doing a 12v to 6v jump have decided to wait for tow truck.

 

Interesting to hear the first hand observations. That's what I was fishing for, actual real world stuff. I have a pretty strong electronics background and understand most of those issues well enough. It's more of how to apply it to an old truck, how far to take it, etc.

I'm not terribly concerned with adding a lot of new items or functions, simply making the existing ones more reliable and compatible with today's world. I got a new Delco 1 wire alternator for my Farmall (already converted but it was t-rash) at NAPA for around $50 this spring. But I'm thinking I'd stay with a generator/VR set up anyway. Had an old Chris Craft with a pair of flat head Hercules 6 cyl in it with 12v gennys and regulators. Got used to them pretty fast.

It's not terribly high on the list as I have more to do first, but as I finish off the chassis and engine compartment I need to have a plan for going forward. Bright lights are a matter of safety/common sense in my view, safe wiring as well.

Thanks guys.

 

Like we discussed, it's depends on what you want the truck to be when it grows up that will most influence the decision. If your truck is 6V and most everything works as advertised and you don't plan to use any modern accessories, then leave it alone, or just rewire it as it originally was. If it needs most of the electrical parts replaced anyways, you want the convenience of walking into any parts house or repair shop to work on it, want to use a few (or a bunch) of modern electrical/electronic hooptydoos then you'll likely want to convert to 12V and be done with it.

 

I rewired my 53 sedan earlier this year. I kept the car 6V while I gathered all the parts to convert it to 12V. I had 6V halogen headlights. My headlights were noticably brighter with the same bulbs than they had been before the new (reproduction) wiring. After a couple months of driving I converted the car to 12V and installed 12V halogen headlights. The headlights are not brighter on 12V than they had been on 6V.

I have never had a 6V battery drain after only 45 seconds of cranking. I think a lot of blame gets thrown at 6V when the wiring is really the cause. I keep hearing of people converting to 12V and rewiring at the same time.

 

Totally agree.

My point was only that 6V is quite viable, and unfortunately gets a bit of an undeserved rap.

I certainly don't look down on those who do the conversion, as there are many good reasons to do so. And, as we have heard from our friends out west of the Mississippi, obtaining batteries, in addition to other components, can be a headache and added cost.

I must admit I am biased. After having driven my '49 since I was 13, I just cannot imagine the truck modified in any way, restored yes, modified, no, it would no longer be the vehicle of my memories.

 

If you like originality like I do you probably want to keep it 6 volts. But I don't drive my old 6 volt car at night because it's just to hard to see the road. And then add to that having to go against traffic that has some kind of HID light mounted it can get pretty tricky.

 

I agree with JD . I came from that time, and Im still in it. Life went on, school
busses were 6vt we never froze. They always started. As far as dim headlights
maybe a model T. or reflecter vehicals. If they are dimmish or yellowish you
gotta problem. Back then there were high beam wars which was an early
form of road rage, my old man was one of them. Personally I can not stand
these new plastic lights, they have tunnel vision. I cant see beans with em.
My fleet of plow trucks all 1953 to 1956 have real headlites and I can see
like a hawk. We have four toys F350s from 93 to 1996 as for me what works
is the truck is on low beam and I hold the handle up so its low and high at the same time. composit junk just doesnt shine on curbs and sidewalks .
remember the saying "real jeeps have round headlights" they got the message
and went back to round. My father went to 12 vt back in the 50s just drill a
hole in the bottom of a 57 Ford gen (for a V8 mount) and its still there right
now. So Its your choice, I have no choice all my 53s have 100amp alternators
I have to for strobes and defrosters wipers, plow lights all electric all night,
taking a break idlelling at the highway garage for chow. This years blizzard
they ran 3 days only one night all 23 trucks and other towns linned up for
for a mile only one station had fuel, 3 o'clock in the morning. Some trucks
ran out while waiting and our loader pushed them. I drive a 53 F900 and
my fuel gage was way way past empty and I got two fuel tanks!! So have to have alternator.
JUst ramblin that was a fat check. rate is $80 & $150 per hr if you got a
sander. I dont want no sander all though I have one for parking lots.

 

I left the 6V in my 54 F250 just because I am trying to keep everything as authentic as possible and don't plan to add any electrical options. If that isn't important to you, from there it is a personal decision. Keep in mind if you want to use the original gauges you will have to take that into account, I am thinking you have to use a resistor to drop the voltage down to 6V. If you have a lot of wiring to redo, headlights, taillights, etc. keep in mind with 6V you have to use heavier gauge wire so a little more expensive.

 

There are solid state voltage drop devices. Ford used 6 V instruments well past converting to 12V.

 

I converted mine to 12 volt for the easier starting and a modern radio. Converted the generator to 12 volt and added a 12 volt regulator. Changed the points and condenser in the distributer and added a resister. Changed the bulbs to 12 volt. Changed the gauges to 12 volt and also the fuel sending unit. I left the 6 volt starter and it really spins the old v8 over.

 

Mine is still 6 volts. I redid all the wiring in the truck and added a few things like turn signals and a fuse panel with headlight relay. My lights are plenty bright now.

As far as protecting your gauges if you do convert to 12 volts, there are plenty of devices to reduce the voltage to the gauges. Just Google 6 volt 12 volt Solid State Voltage regulator for your gauges. Check this one out, but try not to dance...