12 volt conversion


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By Bigfoot5 - 13 Years Ago
im looking into doing a 12 volt conversion on my 55 town sedan what am i all going to need to do this. i have to replace the wireing harness so i might as well do the conversion but i a parts lift of what i need. thanks for the help
By skygazer - 13 Years Ago
Did a 12V conversion on my bird. Walt Knuckles did a good article on this.



Your 6V starter will spin faster on 12V. Maybe too fast... just be ready to replace it if it burns out. I had to replace mine after a few months.



No need to replace the harness unless it is already shot... 6v wiring is generally twice as heavy as 12v wiring. Just be careful of cracked insulation. Most of my original plastic insulation that wasn't exposed to sunlight held up fine.



Replace head, tail, and turn lights. All light bulbs will eventually need to be replaced... either initially, or when they burn out. You will also need a new flasher.



No need to replace fuel or temp gauges or senders. I got a small instrument voltage regulator for each gauge, which reduced the voltage and will extend the life of the gauge.



Replace the heater blower motor, or only use it in "low". Power windows will work, but super fast... and will burn out if you hold the switch down. Likewise with power seats.
By miker - 13 Years Ago
My starter and seat motors have held up for 12 years or so. Someone needs to address the radio, if you have an original. Mine had been replaced with a more modern unit, and all I had to do with it was ditch the 6 to 12 volt box on the back of it.
By bergmanj - 13 Years Ago
Bigfoot55,

I converted my original radio to operate directly on 12V by obtaining a '56 radio and exchanging the vibrator, transformer, and tubes.  It requires some skills in mechanics and soldering; but, I think that most folks on here could probably do it.  Or find the neighborhood electronics "geek", maybe an older "ham" radio operator (me - here) to do it for you.

The '55 and '56 radios are of the identical basic electronics design, except for the parts mentioned above; they are just built into different "boxes".

The '55 original takes a 9 amp fuse, the '56 (and converted '55) takes a 5 amp fuse.

I hope this may help you and others.

Regards,   JLB

By Bigfoot5 - 13 Years Ago
What is a good 12v altinator to use?
By paul2748 - 13 Years Ago
You can use almost all of the original 6 volt switches - headlight, ignition, wiper and heater blower. They take a lesser amp load under 12 volts.
By Bigfoot5 - 13 Years Ago
can anyone tell me what im going to need and round about price for everything im gonna need?