Does anyone know of a 12v bulb that will replace the #1158 bulb used for the park / signal light on the front of '53 passenger models (and perhaps others as well), without changing the socket.
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Thanks, that may help, but not sure I want LEDs for turn signals. They list quite a few bulbs with that base, but don't say if they are 6v or 12v.Originally posted by fiveftsix View Post
BillComment
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Bill,....a low bucks way around this is to simply use standard 1157 12V park/turn signal bulbs, and shave one 'nub' off of the side of the base.....It will hold OK on the remaining 'nub', and work fine!Originally posted by Bill in AV Ca View Post
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The LED bulbs work on 6 and 12 volt but dual filament LED's are not available
I can not figure out why you want to convert a 6 volt car to 12 volt.
The cars performed perfectly well when new.
There are converters available to convert 6 volt to 12 volt if you want to install a newer radio or so and your iPhone will charge just fine on 6 volt.
People that do not understand cars find that the starter turns faster if you put 12 volt on it and that 6 volt batteries are not available at Walmart.
You end up having to change your wiper motor , heater and defroster motors , overdrive solenoid, headlight and turn and brake light bulbs, coil and distributor dash instruments ,radio ,starter motor etc all because someone that heard that
12 volt is better but does not know anything about cars.
Cars that have been converted to 12 volt are hard to sell later because the conversion shows that it covers up other problems that could have been solved by someone that knows what he is doing
Dropping resistors only work with a steady load but when you have a variable load such as two speed blower and defroster motors and two speed wipers,dash nights on or off to the instrument cluster
The most common being that the battery cables are too small, the grounding strap between the engine and frame is missing or dangling loose.
Improperly installed ground cables etc.
The starter is worn out but will function for awhile when force fed 12 volt for a few month.
Getting a 6 volt starter properly rebuilt is a gamble.
I took a 6 volt starter apart once that was supposedly rebuilt.
It looked nice and clean, painted nicely but the armature was dragging on the stator because the bushings were worn and had not been replaced , the armature was swollen up and racked up on the windings etc.(this is more common on Delco starters).
The cars were designed for 6 volt and functioned fine when new.
Cars after 1956 (changed to 12 volt by the factory)functioned better but converting older cars to 12 volt is plain nonsense and stay away from shade tree mechanics that recommend this!
Robert KapteynLast edited by rkapteyn; 06-11-2016, 05:27 AM.Comment
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Sorry Bob, but if Bill intends to actually USE his Studebaker, converting to 12V is the ONLY way to go, for more practical reasons than I care to list!!
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Did people not use their cars when they were 6 volt?Comment
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If 6V were 'better', why did every auto manufacturer switch to 12V in the mid-50s? The OEMs are about saving money and nothing else. Consequently, the OEMs would not have switched to 12V and incurred the cost of sourcing new parts and maintaining two sets of spares if there was not some material benefit to them. So, we'll dispense with the idea that 6V is 'better' (which is not really as subjective a statement as it first appears).
So, do 6V cars work perfectly fine stock? Of course they do. Cars worked for nearly 4 decades just fine on 6V and continue to do so today.
But we must also recognize that cars have been 12V for over 6 decades now and that changes the parts availability equation. Consequently, the practicality becomes an issue if folks use their cars for more than just a weekend or show. First and foremost is access to routine maintenance items like bulbs, batteries, motors and other electric accessories. Are they available in 6V? Of course. Are they common and on the shelf? Usually not. So routine maintenance becomes a special order part and wait...usually not very long, maybe a day in most cases. But if your Studebaker is your daily driver (like my '53 is), a day to order a battery or a bulb is unreasonable if it's available off the shelf in 12V.
Another practicality issue is climate. 6V cars require very good and clean grounds for the electrical system to function properly. In cold climates, a 6V car can be challenging to start before the 6V battery drains to the point it cannot turn the engine any longer. I drove a stock 6V car in the freezing winter out in the mountains of NM. I would put a drop light under my hood, a heavy canvas blanket over the engine to retain the warmth from the days' drive, and if it was going to get real cold, I'd put the battery on a charger...because otherwise, even with very good grounds, large 00 welding cable battery leads, and proper ground tie-in to chassis, engine, and battery, and a fresh battery, the 6V cold start was hit or miss. If the car didn't fire up in the first 5 seconds, the battery wasn't going to be able to spin the engine quickly enough. A 2-3V drop when starting is normal, but that's 33-50% of a 6V battery's power and only 15-20% of a 12V battery's power.
These are exactly the reasons the OEMs went to 12V. It's more reliable and requires fewer warranty repairs for these types of issues.
The bottom line is, if folks wish to convert a car to 12V because they intend to use them and like the easy access to routine maintenance parts, more power to them. Very few 12V conversions cannot be undone if someone wishes to return the car to original. And equally, if folks wish to retain the originality of their cars and keep them 6V because they enjoy their cars as they existed originally, more power to them. For either side to denigrate the other is simply ludicrous. It generally has very little to do with mechanical knowledge or ability and more to do with practicality and, yes, convenience (which isn't a bad word), but at the end of the day, we all share the same passion for these old cars and that should be a uniting force, not a dividing one.-------------------
Daddy always said, if yer gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough & I\'m one tough sumbiatch!Comment
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For some reason (probably intellectual laziness on my part), I'm not completely technically understanding the science behind the 6 vs 12 volt thing. I only "almost" understand it. But, all my six volt vehicles are still six volt, and perform OK. My 12 volt vehicles have remained 12 volt. Oh...'cept for my 1952 tractor, but it was converted when I traded for it. All I did is correct the "hack job" the previous owner did converting it.
Anyway, seems that 12 volt systems handle all the tons of accessories better than six volts. It also seems to have something to do with a term called "cold cranking amps," that gives the 12v system an advantage.(Not sure?) One thing that is for sure, since smaller wire gauge is used in 12 volt systems, you can bet it is cheaper to build a 12 volt wiring harness than a 6 volt. In manufacturing, "CHEAPER = PROFIT...or, at least, an opportunity to build a product in a way that increases the chance of making a profit. If you can build it cheaper, sell it for more...and find an additional benefit of "it performs better," ...what more could you ask?
If I ever get my V8 truck engine tested out, running, and ready to replace the six cylinder engine in my 55 truck...I'm probably going to switch it to twelve volts. Besides the gas sender & gauge/battery gauge, all the other electrical components are very common and cheaper. Mostly, the switch only requires a pocket full of bulbs. The larger gauge of wiring required for the six volt system makes it more than adequate for handling 12 volts.
John Clary
Greer, SC
SDC member since 1975Comment
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What a great unbiased post Ernie.
GeoffComment
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The OEMs are about saving money and nothing else.
The cost of copper wire was cut in half when they went to 12 volt, do you suppose that had any impact on the decision to switch to 12 Volt?
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1176 is the 12 volt bulb with the same base as the 1158. I have them in my '54.Dwight 54 Commander hardtopComment
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It's good to see more folks understanding the sensibility and practicality of converting a 6V vehicle to a 12V electrical system!Originally posted by fiveftsix View Post
To 'cut to the chase'.....If your 6V collector car is primarily used for weekend auto showing....no problem, leave it alone.
But if you actually use your 6V Studebaker for something even remotely like an 'everyday basis',...bite the bullet and convert it to 12V...Believe me, you'll NEVER look back!..SN-60
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