Vintage Auto Garage Weblog

Official 12-Volt Conversion Guide

vintageautogarage — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:58:58 +0000

The complete, step by step guide, to upgrading a 12-volt electrical system. Alternators, mounting brackets, pulleys, overdrives, ignition coils, generators, 6/12 bulb crossover numbers, its all included. Save time and money by learning why you do not need to change the headlight switch, starter solenoid, heater and ignition switches, or the ignition points and condenser when you upgrade to 12- volts. This complete 25 page guide explains everything you need to know in simple common sense plain english. A complete parts source list is also included.

Vintage Flashlight With Holder

vintageautogarage — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 23:58:45 +0000

Vintage car flashlight with steering wheel column holder, Vintage flashlight is all metal with satin chrome finish and adjustable beam. Grey hammer tone finish holder fits tightly on steering column in easy reach. Flashlight holder fits up to 1 7/8 diameter steering columns. Uses 2 D cell batteries not included.

This is the same flashlight that my grandfather had mounted on his 50 Mercury.

Heater motor dropping resistor

vintageautogarage — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 23:12:19 +0000

Resistor kit installs easily when keeping your original 6 volt heater blower motor after converting to 12 volts. Kit complete with heavy duty metal resistor, wire, connectors and installation instructions for quick install.

Click here to view installation instructions

Oil gas temp gauges 12volts to 6 volt reducer

vintageautogarage — Sat, 14 May 2011 20:29:57 +0000

Heavy Duty Voltage Regulator Reduces 12 volts to 6 volts powers Oil, Gas, Temp Gauges. Only need 1 unit to power all gauges, uses original sending units. Input Voltage 10 volt – 18 volts. Output 6.7volt regulated. Correct voltage to power original 6V gauges. Works on negative grounded systems only.

Screw-type terminal for easy connection to gauges and power.LED indicator shows output, saves time troubleshooting. Transient voltage protection to protects your valuable 6 volt gauges. 1 amp fused output. Full Installation instructions with wire diagram. Small compact size 1.5″H X 3″L 1.5″W fits anywhere under dash or firewall.

http://vintageautogarage.com/voltage-regulator-12-volts-to-6-vo126.html

Made in USA! Click here to view installation instructions

Convert 6 volts to 12 volts

vintageautogarage — Sat, 14 May 2011 20:04:43 +0000

Learn how to convert from 6 volts to 12 volts fast and easy access

FREE report takes you step by step how to convert car, truck or tractor 6 volt electrical system to 12 volts. Shows how to convert a generator, why you can use your orginal wiring and most common question is answered about starter motors. Enter your information below and we will email our report to you.

Get report fast via email in less than 5 minutes check your spam filter, sometimes emails get caught there. Thanks!

http://vintageautogarage.com/6v12vaweber.html

Ampco Top Oilers prevent upper engine failures

vintageautogarage — Sat, 14 May 2011 19:34:48 +0000

The Original Ampco Lubricator – what is it?

Ampco top cylinder lubricator is an oil vapor delivery device, designed to supply a mist of oil vapor to your engine’s combustion chamber – the heat/friction/ wear zone. Manifold vacuum draws metered oil through a nozzle into the air/fuel mixture, which lubricates valve stems, guides, seats, rings, and cylinder bores – everywhere your crankcase oil cannot reach.

http://vintageautogarage.com/ampco-kits.html

As soon as your engine pulls a vacuum upon startup, it is getting the benefit of undiluted, atomized oil to the hottest parts of the engine.The recommended lubricant for all Ampco oilers is Marvel Mystery Oil®, found at most auto parts stores.

Expect These Benefits
•Increase in fuel economy by reducing friction
•Reduced valve-to-seat wear
•Eliminate sticking valves; quieter valve train
•Removal of carbon deposits which cause pre-ignition
•Increased compression and power
•Protection of valve stems, guides, seats, rings, and cylinder bores
•Increased efficiency and engine life!
Easy Installation!

Recommended lubricant for all Ampco oilers is Marvel Mystery Oil®, found at most auto parts stores. http://vintageautogarage.com/

I recently installed a kit on my 1940 Ford deluxe “all original” found my valves to be much quieter!!

http://vintageautogarage.com/ampco-kits.html

Borg Warner Overdrive Solenoids

vintageautogarage — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 03:35:39 +0000

New Reproduction Borg Warner Overdrive 6 Volt or 12 Volt Solenoids We now have available brand new exact reproductions of the original Borg Warner overdrive solenoids. These are available for both 6-volt and 12-volt applications. This is the same solenoid used by all eleven of the car companies that offered the Borg Warner electric overdrive as an option from the late 1930’s thru the early 1960’s. No core is required. These will fit standard Borg Warner overdrive applications… those with a shaft length of one inch measured from the tip of the shaft to the edge of the alignment flange. (lay your ruler on top of the shaft and measure from the ball end to the edge of the casting.) All standard overdrive-solenoids will measure one inch. Station Wagons and convertibles will measure 1.5 inches and a few odd applications will measure 1.25 inches or longer. This solenoid fits the STANDARD one inch applications only. Please check you shaft length before ordering.

http://vintageautogarage.com/overdrive.html

Electronic Ignition from Pertonics

vintageautogarage — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 03:14:01 +0000

For over thirty years, the Ignitor has proven itself in applications ranging from race cars to tractors. The Ignitor replaces breaker point and troublesome factory electronic ignitions with a dependable, self contained and maintenance free electronic ignition system. The Ignitor has been called the “stealth” ignition because of its quick installation and nearly undetectable presence under your distributor cap.

Specifications

Operating Voltage: 8-V to 16-V DC
Temperature Range: -50 to 300F
RPM Range: 0 to 15,000 RPM
12-V NEG Ground (some 6-V NEG, 6 & 12-V POS ground kits available)
System is designed for use with most point-type coils, optimal performance achieved when used with our Flame-Thrower® 40,000 volt coil.
Works great in stock point-type distributors as a trigger for multi-spark CD ignitions, eliminating the need for expensive aftermarket distributors.
No complicated wiring makes installation easy.
A solid-state electronic ignition system. “Never change points again!”

Return to Ignition home page

Electronic ignition for negative or positive grounds vehicles

vintageautogarage — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 03:10:58 +0000

Want to change your car or truck to electronic ignition? see the new produces from Pertronics.

http://www.vintageautogarage.com/electronic-ignition.html

LED’s What are they and how do they work?

vintageautogarage — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 07:29:08 +0000

June 14, 2009

What are LED’s and why has the popularity increased over the last few years in the vintage and hot rod industry?

The answer is simple; they emit more light with less energy, last almost forever, come on and off faster and have become less expensive as the price of semiconductor material has dropped.

Before we get into the benefits of LED’s, lets explore what an LED actually is and how they work. LED are the initials for Light Emitting Diode, a diode is a semiconductor device that passes current in a certain direction when current is applied. The light you see is solely by the movement of electrons in a semiconductor material and has to do with the release of high energy photons that are directed through a plastic bulb.

The make up of an LED bulb that you would install in your tail light are several of these tiny Que Tip size LED’s. Using 6, 9, 12 and sometimes 24 of these tiny LED’s assembled together with a few other electronics installed in a standard automotive base socket and sealed in epoxy resin.

Conventional bulbs, the kind you probably have in your automobile or truck and most house light bulbs use a filament that is connected to a base and housed in a glass vile that is sealed under a vacuum during manufacturing. The interesting thing about the conventional light bulb that was invented by Thomas Edison back in 1879 it has not changed much, still using a handful of basically the same parts.

The way a conventional bulb works is when current is applied to a filament it heats up and emits light, it also emits heat, in some cases lots of heat. Try touching a 6V , 12V or a standard 100 watt house bulb that has been on for a few minutes and you will experience the heat one of these bulbs produces. Heat is energy that is wasted unless you need to warm your hands on a cold night and is also the enemy of both the bulb and anything it touches or is near. For example the plastic tail light lens. If this plastic lens gets too close to the bulb you will have a scorched lens.

Truckers were the first to adapt and change from standard filament bulbs to LED’s as they realized the long life (10,000 hours) or more that a LED bulb will run versus less than 1000 hours for standard bulbs. The other big advantage truckers figured out was how fast LED’s turn on and off, this may not seem like a big deal, but it is for anyone moving down the road at 65 miles per hour every 1/100^th of a second matters when stopping and avoiding an accident.

Here is something else to consider if changing to LED’s they will not seem as bright as the bulb you removed when looking at an angle. What you need to realize are LED’s have a narrow focal point, unlike filament bulbs their light will emit at a much wider angle 270 degrees the LED when looking straight on to the bulb will be bright and as you move off axes will become less bright that is why it is important to choose the correct LED bulb for the application with the right number of individual LED’s and configured correctly in it’s own housing and lens.

Amber LED bulb with 1157-1156 socket

Click to view LED’s

In choosing the correct LED for your application, there is a price consideration when looking at LED’s, red and amber LED’s are the least expensive, white and blue are the most expensive. The reason is the semiconductor material and this gets complicated explaining and best left to another time.

VintageAutoGarage.com recommends that you put a RED LED behind a RED LENS, an AMBER LED behind AMBER LENS and WHITE LED behind a CLEAR LENS. Remember WHITE LED’s cost more and do not produce more light than the colored LED’s behind a lens. There are definite application for white bulbs such as back up lights, dome light parking lights etc. and other applications where you don’t want a colored bulb.

1940 Ford LED Tail Light

Here are a few questions and answers:

Can I use an LED on 6 volt positive ground systems? There are lights that are made specifically for this application however, generally LED’s are 12 volts and need to be installed in negative grounded vehicles. There are some exceptions to this. Ford LED tail lights.

Will an LED work for headlights? Usually no, the headlight requires a certain lumens to project light out in front of the vehicle, LED’s could work in this application, it would just take a lot of LED’s mounted in a good projection lens that would cost a lot to make and not cost effective compared to standard gas filled headlights today.

Do LED’s come in ready to insert lenses for my vehicle? There are LED’s that are built into a lens that are sealed and have a connector for easy installation. These lenses are super high quality with the correct number of LED’s for maximum light for the make and year vehicles.

Leonard Johnson

www.VintageAutoGarage.com

www.vintage-planet.com

800-516-4461