The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay 6 volt vs. 12 volt

I'm new to this scene and I need all the help I can get. Can someone tell me what the difference between 6 volt vs. 12 volt is? I currently have a 1950 Chevy Pickup and its a 6 volt. Do I need to change it to 12 volt? What are the advantages and disadvantages of having 12 volt and what is it really used for?

Get ready for an avalance of opinions on this one. My opinion, if everything works, ie starter, generator, lights etc, why change anything? A six volt system, well maintained, will work just fine.
Downside to a six volt system? Hard to find batterys, and parts to starter and generator. Not impossible, but sometimes difficult.
Ok, everybody, join in!

I agree, if it works and the truck is just for tooling around town, it'll be fine for now.Better to spend your time making sure all the wiring connections, grounds and bulb sockets are in good shape
A 12 volt system does have advantages, brighter light options,a loud CD player,better cold weather starting, and so on.

1950ChevyGirl,
welcome to the Stovebolt. You will find many opinions on 6V vs 12 V. A 6 V system in good condition works just fine. However, because the voltage is half that of the 12 V, the system relies on heavier current flow. What this means is that poor battery connections and starter connections cause problems sooner with a 6 V system. When I get mine on the road someday, I intend to be running the 6 v system.

Just to mix it up a bit, I run an 8 volt battery in my GMC. Kinda get the best of both worlds, starter spins like it is on "meth", bulbs burn like a mini super nova (accelerated bulb life)and when people see four battery caps they kinda go WTF!

dunfire, I hear what you are saying. My friend runs a 8 folt battery in his 50 and it works great. I am thinking about doing the same. The 8 volt batterys were mainly for tractors.

I have to agree with not changing until something breaks. The change isn't that hard or expensive. You will need a 12 volt battery, all new light bulbs, resistors for the heater fan, gas gauge and radio (if you have one). Also needed is either a generator/regulator or alternator, depending on how stock you want your setup to look like. If you go with an alternator, you can buy one at a local parts store, make some modification to the existing brackets and wire it in. Also recommended is a diode kit for the alternator and a booklet written by Randy from Fifth Ave Auto, Clay Center, KS. He's the moderator of this forum.

1950ChevyGirl, I am with dunfire put in the 8v battery and find out all you can so when the time comes to switch to 12v you will be able to do with less problems.
Greg

All GMC were positive ground until the 12v change in mid-'55.

My charging system is stock and it charges my battery at about 15 to 20 amps. Also my system is a negative ground. I believe GMC went to a positive ground system in the 40's. Alot of larger trucks were positive ground, like Mack, were positive ground up into the 70's. I have no idea as to why!

Thank you all for your replies now my next question is I'mm guessing that If I install a radio system that isn't stock I'm going to have to go with 12 volt, correct?

Radio Shack used to make an inverter to generate 12V from 6V. I don't know if they are still available.

I don't think that Radio shack still sells that inverter. However, there are a LOT of DC-DC converters on the new and surplus market that may work for your application. Marlin P. Jones www.mpja.com has a 5V to 12V 1 amp DC-DC convertor for $10 (pn 11666-ps). You would have to contact MPJA to see if it would run on 6+VDC. If not, use a linear regulator LM7805 to drop your 6V to 5V. The other caveat is that your radio has to pull 1 amp or less. This is just one example. Do some searching and you will turn up more options.

The only reason I went from 6 to 12 was due to the brightness of the head and tail lights at night time.
Lets not forget the importance of having a real bright spotlight, while searching for them coons in the bushes.

Nevertheless, I wanted to be seen. Since I wasn't trying to keep the truck totally original, I didn't care about keeping the electrical original. Living in a busy metropolis, safety and security was of most importance to me.

I see you found the stovebolt page. Glad you are here. These guys will be able to answer anything you need. My vote is to go 12 volt. It is simple and modern radios etc.. will work. And alot easier to jump start on the side of the road it if its ever dead, from another 12 volt. I got a ticket a few years back for a 6 volt tailight that was not bright enough.

From somebody who grew up with 6-volt systems, ditto on the clean, tight commections! I cranked an 11:1 compression flathead V8 (blue oval) engine with 6 volts for a lot of years, and it was a hassle!

The 8-volt system will create more problems than it solves, especially if the voltage regulator is adjusted to keep it charged properly. It takes 9.5 volts to keep an 8 volt up, and that amount of voltage burns out lights, and is rough on generators. I'm a 45-year veteran of auto electrical system service, and the family shop was the best electrical service center in Nashville, Tennessee in the 50's and 60's. We wouldn't touch an 8-volt system with a 10-foot pole!
Jerry