Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

Uncle Joe · Guest

Even though I dont have seat belts in any of mine, I can understand the reason that some people would want to have them in. They dont detract from using it anyway. You dont NEED to fasten them.

12volt electrics make the car more reliable, as well as safe. in a lot of ways, that makes the car more fun.

Although front disc brakes were an option on my 300 in 1975, I'm doing a conversion using 1973 parts. Do you think that this is the wrong thing to do?

dalbuie · Joined: 24 Dec 2007 Posts: 408 Location: Gullane

I'm not saying anything is right or wrong - just giving my opinion.

If I wanted a car with 12v, seatbelts and disk brakes I'd buy one with those options - and I have. However I also wanted a car from the 40's with the parts they used in the 40's.

I'm not against anyone changing or upgrading - but if everyone did it there wouldn't be any original vehicles left.

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22463 Location: UK

Uncle Joe · Guest

Rick, its the same here as well. Most people use them in moderns, but a lot take them out of classics. The rules here are that if a seat isnt fitted with a belt, then you dont have to use it.... Laughing

Dalbuie, I appreciate your opinions, but have a question for you. How original is yours?

dalbuie · Joined: 24 Dec 2007 Posts: 408 Location: Gullane

Uncle Joe · Guest

I was almost expecting you to say something like you had used Hammerite on the load bed or something. Laughing

Keeping yours as original as it is must be the exception that proves the rule. It seems that most people that own US-made vehicles change them considerably.

If I compare your to my 300, lets see, the engine is from '75 (earlier than 72 440's wont fit), the carbs based on a '71 set up, the front brakes will be from '73...the wheels are modern...apart from those though, every part is Mopar production, and people still think its original.... Very Happy

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22463 Location: UK

[A new Hammerite thread has been created, in the bodywork and paint category, to split it from this 6v/12v debate]

http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/forum/phpbb/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=5609

RJ
_________________
Rick - Admin
Home:https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk
Videos:https://www.youtube.com/user/oldclassiccarRJ/videos
OCC & classic car merchandise (Austin, Ford ++):
https://www.redbubble.com/people/OldClassicCar/shop

ukdave2002 · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4119 Location: South Cheshire

Missed this thread, possibly as it has come up several times before!!

The reason I would change from 6 to 12v would be to improve the lighting, the 6v dynamo's fitted to our cars can only knock out 20amps max, if you fitted a pair of 55w headlamps to your car these would draw just about 100% of the avalible power so the battery would not be charging, wipers would be slow and on a hour or so run you would eventually grind to a halt as the battery would have discharged.
To give you an idea of how car lighting has changed, the sidlamps on my modern are about twice as bright as my morris 8 headlamps on full beam.

Regarding starting on 6v; as long as everything is well maintained it should not be a problem, the mistake people make is using battery to starter cable designed for 12 systems, it is thinner so you gett a bigger voltage drop across it, they other thing they do is fit modern battery terminals to the correct battery cable, the modern terminals will not take the thicker cable so folk strip some of the strands out to make it thinner, again introducing a weak point in the starter electrics.

So my advice is; if you plan to do much night driving move to 12V, if you want reliable 6v starting just make sure the wiring is correct.

Dave