FYI
I go 12v on everything. The Instruments reduce down to 6V with an Itermittent regulator (IVR). Just change the bulbs and install a GM Alternator with an Internal regulator then discard the 6V regulator.If you dont crank the starter long it holds up fine for me at least.. If worry get the Starter Field Coils changed to 12V.

Thank you Chuck!

Rob

Starter "nose castings" on Hydramatic cars have a widely known tendency to break if the starter is not changed to 12v (by changing out the field coils). And on all cars, running the 6v starter on 12v usually causes damage to the Bendix pinion and the flywheel gear teeth. Not surprising, as you're putting four times the designed electrical power into the starter.

[quote="Rob Hesselmann " post=11378]

All I'm planning on is a couple 12 volt cigar plugs to charge a cell phone, etc.
Rob

Rob, when I rewired my car I ran a reasonably heavy wire from the trunk to the dash (before I installed the roof lining) and the cigar lighter outlet for my TomTom and cellphone charger as needed. I have a small 12V battery securly tucked away in a small plastic box in the trunk and I just need to charge that only every few months.
I also use that battery to power the trailer lights through relays I have setup in another smaller box tucked away there.

More that one way to skin a cat! Good luck.

Thank you Alistair,

Sounds like a reasonable alternative.

Rob

Park,

Am I correct that the AC only needs electricity to operate the clutch on the compressor and the blower? It would seem that a 12 volt blower motor connected directly to the 6 volt system would probably turn at about the same speed as the blower would turn on the "low" setting in a 12 volt system? That would just leave the relay mentioned by Jon (thanks, Jon) to be adjusted or replaced to operate the clutch. Apparently the clutch is able to engage when connected to a 6 volt system.

Per

Park made an important point which is worth emphasizing, when talking about starter breakage when running a 6 volt starter on 12 volts.

The starter is designed for 6 volts. When 12 volts is put in it, the current (number of amperes) is twice the rated amount.

What is not obvious is that power, the number of watts, is current times voltage. In this case, the current is twice, and the voltage is also twice. That means 4 times the Power, not just twice as much! This means four times the mechanical force, which can break something.

When the coils inside the starter are replaced, they are designed to operate with around Half the current. This way twice the voltage times half the current gives the rated power, and the starter works normally.

Per

Per-
It seems to work [i]better[/i]. By better, it seems to spin twice as fast. With a correctly tuned car, it will instantly start running, as soon as the key is turned far enough to engage the starter. I could never get that with the 6V system.

[b]FYI
I have had two Hydromatic Hudson's on 12V for yrs and havent had a problem with using 6V starters however, I dont drive them everyday with our wet & snowy seasons. Perhaps ive been real lucky...

If worried using 12V though, there is a Company in Utah SNAP Rebuilders 801 467 2902 that built a quality 12V Mini Starter for Hudson with Hydromatic's.... .Snap actually built the first one at the request of a Member of this Forum that worked well, but since has improved on the original and have them in stock.

[quote="Russ Chilton" post=11478]Per-
It seems to work [i]better[/i]. By better, it seems to spin twice as fast. With a correctly tuned car, it will instantly start running, as soon as the key is turned far enough to engage the starter. I could never get that with the 6V system.

When the mfr's changed over to 12v, they didn't just build them to draw half the current as with 6v, but with a bit more current, thus power, than before. Therefore brighter lights, faster turning starter, etc.

Russ,

I've had that experience too. I had a 1960 Citroen (12 volts) which started instantly with its fast turning starter. Then I got a 1959 Citroen (last year of 6 volts)..Its slow starter turned and turned before starting. So I used two batteries, a 12 volt battery just for the starter, a 6 volt battery for everything else (including the ignition). The car then started instantly due to the fast turning starter (also possibly because there was no reduction of the 6 volts serving the coil while the starter was turning). This system did not cause me any trouble, however the car was not in daily use.

Per