When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Of course they did...and the local parts stores carried all the pieces and parts you'd need in 6V, you could get a jump from anyone without any worries or concerns about which way the ground was or what the voltage might be and there were fewer cars on the road which meant less likelihood of being hit because your 6V taillights weren't very bright....
...I could go on, but the 6V/12V thing is almost as polarizing as less-filling/tastes-great, which oil to use, republicans vs democrats, or protestants vs catholics...
My F100 is my daily driver...I've driven 6V cars as daily-drivers too, but I find 12V to just be easier. Call me lazy. Call me crazy. But don't call me late for dinner!
I'm a 6V guy. I have converted a few back to 6V after sloppy 12V work. I've never had starting or dim light issues due to 6V. Make sure your wiring is decent which you need for any voltage and you are good to go. I have converted one, and only one, vehicle to 12V so I could add A/C (my wife really likes conditioned air). I'm currently plotting on how to install 6V A/C in my F-2.
All the OEMs didn't switch to 12v negative ground because there were no significant benefits. 12v gives you access to modern electrical/electronic components including improved lighting of many types mounted in your stock light fixtures. One of the most important of these is the itty bitty tail lights. LEDs make a big difference.
All the OEMs didn't switch to 12v negative ground because there were no significant benefits. 12v gives you access to modern electrical/electronic components including improved lighting of many types mounted in your stock light fixtures. One of the most important of these is the itty bitty tail lights. LEDs make a big difference.
I had heard one time that Ford saved $4.00 per car when switching to 12 volts. There was a former Ford engineer talking to us about the '57 supercharger cars at this years Ford Carlisle. He was trying to make them go faster. He said if something cost a dollar more and you sold a million cars, his bosses thought that was significant. Dennis
I had heard one time that Ford saved $4.00 per car when switching to 12 volts. There was a former Ford engineer talking to us about the '57 supercharger cars at this years Ford Carlisle. He was trying to make them go faster. He said if something cost a dollar more and you sold a million cars, his bosses thought that was significant. Dennis
I don't think that change was made for piece cost reasons. Anytime you make changes to cost, weight or timing you have to consider retooling costs and warranty cost savings. The retooling costs would have been serious. Also all the manufacturers made the change not just Ford. I have been in the middle of a few of those battles.
The "mill" was a standard accounting unit for a long time. Never minted, but it represented 1/1000th of a dollar. That's how close they watched costs.
Higher compression engines probably made the change to 12 volts inevitable. Positive to negative ground is related because it was done at the same time, one reason was the advent of transistors, for car radios. The first Fords were negative ground, then at some point switched to positive ground, and back to negative ground in '56
12V wires can be notable smaller gauge than 6V wire. Given the price of copper strand wire I expect significant saving when economies of scale are considered. Ford retooled wiring harnesses almost every year during the 50s anyway so retooling costs were negligible in the consideration.
