I wonder what the advantage one way or the other would be of 6v or 12v, neg or pos ground...?

 

i think a pos ground car will not rust like a neg ground
something to do with anode cathode property?

 

48atoy
If so my old MG didn't read the no rust book!!! It was about as bad rusted as anything I ever tried to restore. You could mash a front fender really quick and hard and the door would unlatch. The door posts were rotted off level with the rockers.

 

Simon, I'll dito what Julie said. She really knows her stuff!
the 51 F-3 I just picked up had a partially installed newer radio from Macs antique auto parts in it and there was a box on the floor with this little converter from C&G for I believe just that purpose? not sure what other purpose it would work for??? anyway, it's a fairly small converter, maybe the one you have is an older model? it was $69 in 2002 from C&G (the receipt was in the box, that's how I know ) wonder how much they are now?
anyway here is a picture of it.







there was also a cool old Ford Sparton horn, (model A era I think?) laying inside the cab of this truck, all sorts of goodies



cheers

Josh

 

would it be on a MG EARTH not GROUND??

 

Thanks for the pic, Josh...I'd put one up of mine, but I'm not a preferred member yet...Of course, I'm just assuming that the inverter I found was used in my truck for the stereo he installed....Maybe it was just a piece he had laying around for a different vehicle?...

 

I just upload pictures to photobucket.com (free acount) or any other picture web host of your choice, and then copy and paste the link to my reply's here. I'm not sure of any other ways to post pictures?
No worries, I'm not a preferred member yet either!
maybe someday?

Cheers

 

Good Old C&G. I should have thought to look there.

By the way, they used that horn on Ford trucks up to 1950 I believe - or there abouts!

C&G still carries the Power Converters - there are two of them. They are both $100.

https://secure435.hostgator.com/~dlv...273&t=1636&tn=

One converts from 6 volt negative ground to 12 volt negative ground (like if you had a 12 volt CB on your 6 volt motorcycle) and a 6 volt positive ground to 12 volt negative ground (pre 1956 US made Cars and Trucks).

I'm not sure about the box the OP mentioned. It could very well be from negative to positive ground 6 to 12 volt. But I just have never heard of 12 volt positive ground in a US car. Boat, Airplane, overseas maybe. Not sure.

And on the switch to negative ground, it's more efficient than positive ground when a higher electron flow is desired (higher voltage and more amperage). It makes your whole truck like a battery post (the cathodic comment is correct). Remember, electrons flow from negative battery post to the positive battery post (in metals). It sounds stupid I know, but just trust me on this one this time.

As far as 6 Volt vs 12 Volt the answer is in the laws of physics. When you have something that is electrical, it uses a portion of that electricity and converts it to work (usually heat or light are the byproducts). What it requires to function is expressed in Watts, and it is constant. In order to supply those Watts to do the work, there has to be a certain amount of electricity - or amps. When the amount of work (watts) is constant - like supplying a certain brightness of light - the amount of electricity (amps) needed, is cut in half if the voltage (pressure) is doubled. It's directly proportional. So, if you have a heater motor to turn and at 6 volts it requires 12 amps, at 12 volts it will only require 6 amps to turn at the same speed.

The advantage with 12 volts over 6 volts is the wires can be smaller because they are carrying a smaller amount of electricity, the generator needs to produce much less and there is less wear on the parts.

The main reason car manufacturers switched to 12 volt is because they were starting to add electrical items to cars and trucks and the 6 volt charging systems and batteries simply couldn't provide enough electricity (enough amps) to run them all and maintain the battery in a charged state. So, they doubled the voltage and cut the amp requirement in half.

So, taking that one step further, if you are a car amnufacturer and you change your 1955 Ford F-100 with it's 6 volt electrical system - using a 35 amp generator, and in 1956 you convert the F-100 to 12 volt still using the 35 amp generator, you can use smaller wires and the charging system is twice as efficient - or you can run twice as many electrical items as on the 55.

If you take that 56 with it's 12 volt system an replace the 35 amp generator with a 70 amp alternator (alternators have higher generating capacity and will do it at lower rpms), then you have increased the electrical capability of your 56 by FOUR TIMES over the 55. That's why we (I) preach to folks about alternators and 12 volt conversions. Four times as much electrical capability.

PS Thanks Josh!

 

Joe, I like your gallery pics with the farm produce and chicken in the back. It gives me ideas!

 

the chicken is also on a remote for sound

the kids love it!

 

A Chicken?

Oh I gotta get me one of those to cluck at all the little old ladies around here!

 

the hard part was 12v stuff on a 6v system
that does not go threw 6to12 inverter

 

Beside the radio what was there that was 12 volt? Just new toys?

 

From the comments others made about the Positive being connected to chassis in older cars like Ford, .
He said that since the old copper wiring was not enameled, it would corrode if "sitting" at a positive potential, while no current was circulating. Later on when wire insulation was improved, positive grounding was no longer needed