Steelbreeze Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 We are converting a 47 Windsor to 12 volt and there seems to be a question as to of the car at one time was already converted. However we are doing a complete aftermarket wiring harness along with the 12 volt conversion. What is necessary to ensure we don't damage the factory radio? Simply a voltage reducer inline before going into the radio? Or can it be something internal? The radio has a service tag on it but we don't know why it was serviced. Possibly it had something done prior to do with the voltage. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 You could arrange a 6 volt positive ground power supply. Or convert the radio to 12v pos ground. A good radio tech could do this. It would involve replacing the 6v tubes with 12v equivalent, and replacing the 6v + ground vibrator with a 12v - ground equivalent. You can make a solid state vibrator that does not have the buzz the old ones have. I have the plans around here someplace but I am sure a net search will turn them up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c49er Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Don't forget the M5 transmission wiring circuit if it's still even in the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steelbreeze Posted April 6, 2017 Author Share Posted April 6, 2017 (edited) On 3/24/2017 at 7:48 PM, c49er said: Don't forget the M5 transmission wiring circuit if it's still even in the car. When you say circuit, do you just mean the 2 solenoids on the tranny or is there more to it than that? We had planned on merely hooking power to them via the original wiring diagram. However I never thought they would be 6 volt also. Can you elaborate on what is needed? Thanx much. Edited April 6, 2017 by Steelbreeze Forgot reply notice (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steelbreeze Posted April 7, 2017 Author Share Posted April 7, 2017 On 3/24/2017 at 1:55 PM, Rusty_OToole said: You could arrange a 6 volt positive ground power supply. Or convert the radio to 12v pos ground. A good radio tech could do this. It would involve replacing the 6v tubes with 12v equivalent, and replacing the 6v + ground vibrator with a 12v - ground equivalent. You can make a solid state vibrator that does not have the buzz the old ones have. I have the plans around here someplace but I am sure a net search will turn them up. I am a little confused as to why we would convert to positive ground when the car is negative ground? Does the radio work differently? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 You said you are converting to 12v which also means converting to - ground. The car is 6v + ground. Of course the trans controls are 6V + ground. Everything on the car is 6V + ground including the radio, heater, and wiper motor. I think the radio is the only thing polarity sensitive. But, nobody has ever succeeded in changing a car like yours to 12v so far as I know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlS Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 The radio, gas gauge, and other electrically operated instruments are polarity sensitive. Some of the motors may run backwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 By the way Steelbreeze it would be nice if you could photograph and document every step of the changeover process. So far as I know, no one has ever successfully changed a late 40s or early 50s Chrysler to 12V, or wanted to. Yours will be the first. It will be valuable in the future to know how you did it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steelbreeze Posted April 7, 2017 Author Share Posted April 7, 2017 Yes I should have thought of that early on. I'll try and get as much documentation as I can at this stage of the game. But it all started with a Pro Wire Harness. My friend has been doing all the wiring but has been pretty straight forward. There is some speculation the car was adapted if not just partially before I got it. I'm wondering why someone would want to keep 6 volt. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 The real question to many of us on this forum is why someone would want to change from 6 volt. It works perfectly fine today the same as it did when it was built. Most cars were 6 volt from pre WWI to 1954. Other than wanting to be able to run modern accessories there is no reason to change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steelbreeze Posted April 8, 2017 Author Share Posted April 8, 2017 Well, I don't know about anyone, but my reason is, I wanted to. First thing being the old cloth wires were starting to deteriorate, So I needed a new harness and a reproduction harness was beyond my finances. Second was to upgrade the gauge of wire and to have a circuit with fuses. Also I wanted the ease of buying replacement parts. In south Florida not all auto parts stores carry 6 volt parts in stock and I don't want a tool box full of bulbs, starters, generators, etc. And in the unlikely event that I do want extra accessories, I have that option. So far you can't tell that it is modern wiring since we wrapped it in authentic cloth harness tape. Other than the alternator which I can always install my generator that was converted to 12 volt if I decide I really don't like the look of a modern alternator. But all my options are open. And again the main reason was, that's the way I wanted my car. Bias ply tires were fine in their day also but radial tires are better. I for one like modern advancements. WW1 has long been over. Time to move on. Thanx for your interest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 8, 2017 Share Posted April 8, 2017 I wasn't trying to offend I was just referring to the last line of your post #9. We, most of us on this forum an more into keeping the vehicles original. Many of the people here like that I have kept my 1930 Pontiac daily driver original except for the 6 volt alternator but totally disagree with how I drive my car. It has poured babbett bearings and I drive it a on the freeway at 55 mph+. I drive it all winter (down to -54 degrees) on the prairie, in the mountains, across the desserts (+110 in death valley) 400,000 miles in 58 years + 99,000 that my Grandfather put on the car driving it at 45 mph. All done with no overdrive and a 4.5:1 rear end. My car and I'll drive it my way. If you enjoy your car half a much as I have enjoyed mine you will have a great time. Happy motoring with your Chrysler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted April 9, 2017 Share Posted April 9, 2017 There have been a lot of old Chryslers sold by guys who tried to change to 12v and couldn't, or half assed it and couldn't get the car to work so they dumped it. We have had a few plaintive requests, and we have tried to answer all questions. So far no one has come back and said they finished the conversion and it works perfect. Meanwhile the old hands are driving and enjoying their 6v cars with no problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steelbreeze Posted April 9, 2017 Author Share Posted April 9, 2017 So far everything is working and he is 90% complete. The voltage reducers are working correctly and it looks like the tranny part shouldn't be an issue. The only thing I am in need of is the 2 parts on the carburetor to do with the full throttle and closed throttled. They were missing from when I got the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steelbreeze Posted April 9, 2017 Author Share Posted April 9, 2017 22 hours ago, Tinindian said: I wasn't trying to offend I was just referring to the last line of your post #9. We, most of us on this forum an more into keeping the vehicles original. Many of the people here like that I have kept my 1930 Pontiac daily driver original except for the 6 volt alternator but totally disagree with how I drive my car. It has poured babbett bearings and I drive it a on the freeway at 55 mph+. I drive it all winter (down to -54 degrees) on the prairie, in the mountains, across the desserts (+110 in death valley) 400,000 miles in 58 years + 99,000 that my Grandfather put on the car driving it at 45 mph. All done with no overdrive and a 4.5:1 rear end. My car and I'll drive it my way. If you enjoy your car half a much as I have enjoyed mine you will have a great time. Happy motoring with your Chrysler. Yes I am trying for the most part to keep as much original as possible. And that is the argument I use with the people around me that say I can't use it as a daily driver or take cross country. I say if it did it back when it was made there's no reason it shouldn't be able to handle it now. But I do need reliability and availability of parts. And just about anything 6 volt down here is special order. Thanx, I hope to have many years of enjoyment and fun driving this ol Windsor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 9, 2017 Share Posted April 9, 2017 Steelbreeze Old minds work funny. I don't think of your Chrysler as old until I realize it is 70 years old and my Pontiac was only 29 years old when I started driving it. Since I started driving mine I have been in every state west of the Mississippi and everywhere in Canada west of Thunder Bay. I had one breakdown on the highway. I had been pulling roots out with the car and the next day the pressure plate fell apart. Other than that it has always brought me home. I suppose I could have treated it better but I have always felt they were built to be driven and I think sitting for months on end is the worst thing for them. Good Luck with your Chrysler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steelbreeze Posted April 9, 2017 Author Share Posted April 9, 2017 (edited) I have an old mind too but also realize what century we are in and am willing to try and take advantage of that. I have the same train of thought, that they were meant to be driven and sometimes used as a work horse. And we can rebuild it and make it even better than it used to be. We can build this 6 million dollar man. I mean car. I told my mechanic I really want the modified generator but for now he talked me into the alternator. But I can always go back to the other. So far everything is working and working correctly. And about 90-95% of the harness is installed. I even got brake lights on my taillight housings. Not just on the trunk. Edited April 13, 2017 by Steelbreeze Wrong word (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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