I have to confess, I just don’t understand the logic behind the dislike of generators. Its like:
old heavy unsafe car - Love It
old low power inefficient flathead - Love it
old 6V generator - Get it out of my car!
Generators are part of the vintage vibe. They make a vintage engine bay look vintage. They work fine, even if it is disconcerting to see a 20A discharge when stopped at a light (with accessories on). Why the hate for generators?
My 50 New Yorker had an original, miserable electrical system when I bought it. The battery was always run down, wipers were dead slow, lights kind of dim. I replaced all the wiring front to back, using the proper gauge, including removing the dash and replacing all the wiring there. And I made sure everything was well grounded. I Installed a new Optima battery and a NOS regulator.
I am still running the original generator. I haven’t even taken it out to check the brushes and bearings, although I will this summer. Generators work fine but it seems that the vintage electrical parts - generators, 6 V and points ignition, just gets no love compared the the rest of our vintage machinery.
I admit I am a retired Electrical Engineer who always loved vintage electrical and electronic gear, more that the modern stuff I worked on for a living.
Curt