Old Car Electrical
There are several upgrades that you can add to make your classic car or truck a little more modern.
Read: Add Turn Signals To An Old Car
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6 Volt to 12 Volt Conversion
You may consider upgrading to a 12 volt system if you're adding power accessories such as an aftermarket radio and amplifier, electric cooling fan, power windows or power seats, halogen headlights, or LED tail lights. If not, a 6-volt system in good shape should continue getting the job done.
Read: Convert 6-Volt Car To 12-Volts
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One-wire alternators are popular when converting an old car or truck from 6-volts to 12-volts. They can also be used to replace a generator in an old car or truck.
Read: Install A One-Wire Alternator
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Points vs Electronic Ignition
A large majority of classic cars have a points/condenser ignition system, which is easy to understand and diagnose. The contact breaker is usually operated mechanically by an engine-driven cam.
Read: Old Car Ignition
When in proper working order, a points ignition system works very well and should give 10,000 to 15,000 miles of service. For a classic car that gets driven a 1,000 miles a year, that's a pretty trouble-free system. Yet, some owners choose to convert to a non-stock electronic ignition system.
Read: Points vs Electronic Ignition
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Positive Ground Cars
Electricity in a car travels in a circle. Power leaves the battery from one terminal, passes through components (lights, horn, coil, etc.) and ends up back to the battery on the opposite terminal. It doesn't care which way it goes.
Read: Positive-Ground Electrical Systems
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Read: Solder or Crimp Wires?
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Electrical Tools and Supplies:
There is a difference between SAE-rated wire and AWG (American Wire Gauge) sizing.
AWG wire always has more copper for a given gauge size than SAE-rated wire does, and more copper is better. This variation is about 10-20%.
How Can I Tell What Wire Size I Have?
Measuring wire thickness is easy with a wire gauge measurement tool.
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Wire crimp connectors do not require soldering and are an easy method for repairing broken wires.
When heated up, Heat Shrink Tubing reduces in size and adheres to the wires, which protects electrical connections.
Heat Shrink Connectors
There are also solderless crimp connectors with heat shrink tubing already attached to them.
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Wire Strippers and Crimpers
Shop: Irwin Vice-Grip Wire Stripper
Shop: Crimping Pliers
Multimeters are inexpensive and allow you to perform many electrical tests on cars, trucks, motorcycles, ATV's, lawn mowers, etc.
Shop: Digital Multimeter
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