New (to me) 1949 plymouth2 door

[furby714]

I recently bought this 1949 plymouth special deluxe been sitting since 98 car runs n drives now but its still a 6 volt car and kinda looking into putting a alternator in it and making it 12 volt. How hard is this proccess since ive nnever done it bfore i have a friend that has gifted me a alternator bracket but its for a 51 chevy will this work or do i need to buy a specific one to fit my car and also what would be a good alternator to use on my car any direction and help greatly apreciated here are some pictures of my car 

 

 

[DonaldSmith]

They make 6-volt, positive pr negative ground alternators, or rather they modify standard alternators.  Get the pulley to match your belt, which is probably the wide type.  A local auto electric shop did mine. 

I re-used the generator bracket, with some creativity with bolts.  Later, I noticed that the alternator holes were not aligned with the alternator shaft; some creative filing and a larger bolt corrected the problem.   

 

[knuckleharley]

Furby,I am not trying to be a wiseass or to discourage you in any way from learning to work on your car,but if you have to ask if a bracket will bolt on an engine and work,you do NOT want to covert a 6 volt positive ground electrical system to a 12 volt negative ground system using an alternator. Electrical system mistakes can cause a fire that will burn the car to the ground,and you may be in it when it burns.

If you are committed to doing this right away,hire a pro to do it for you, Wiring and brakes are not the areas to take chances on,although brakes are much simpler.

Also,in case you don't know,there is absolutely nothing wrong with the 6 volt systems themselves if they are in good condition. Automakers only switched to 12 volt systems when higher compression larger engines became popular and they needed the extra "umph" to start them. Alternators came in when auto manufacturers started loading cars down with electrical options like air conditioning,cruise control,power antennas,power seats,and power windows. If you car has the original engine it is fine as it is if your wiring is good. Get someone who understands wiring to check your wiring harness for shorts because unlike modern cars these old cars had cloth-covered wiring,and it;s more common for bare wires to be exposed due to age,mice,etc,etc,etc than the modren plastic-covered wiring.

I personally have several old cars or trucks that are still running their original 6 volt systems,and am perfectly happy with them to the point where I have no intention of changing over to 12 volts or an alternator.  My daily drivers in good weather at this point is an all-original 51 Ford coupe and a 1937 IHC pu. Both have 6 volt systems with generators. I hope to be adding my 31 Plymouth coupe to the mix this summer and my 42 Dodge coupe to the mix sometime in the near future. Both will also have the original 6 volt systems.

This board is filled with people with original or restored cars that are perfectly happy with the original systems,as well as a few others who have switched over to 12 volt negative ground systems and alternators for their own reasons. It's all about personal choice. Either will work fine if in good condition with a stock car or truck.

You are new to old cars,so the most important rule of mechanics and restoration you need to understand at this point is "If it ain't broke,don't fix it." Fix what you HAVE to fix at this point,like the brakes,and enjoy the car by driving it as you learn more about it and gain a little experience and knowledge. There have been more good old cars and trucks dragged off to the scrap yards due to novice owners with all the enthusiasm in the world and no experience who tear them apart to rebuild them without even driving them,and then get in over their heads financially as well as mechanically,and just give up than any other reason. Drive it,enjoy it,and learn from it as you go. This ain't a contest. You don't have to have the most modern,the most original,or the most anything car in the world. You do have to have one you can drive and enjoy,or what is the purpose?

BTW,if this car has been sitting since 1998,your ONLY concerns right now should be in completely rebuilding the brakes and the fuel delivery system.

Replace or rebuild EVERYTHING in the brake system,including the brake lines and the rubber hoses. Do it ALL at the same time because it all NEEDS to be replaced or rebuilt. Use the new copper/nickel  brake lines you can bend by hand without kinking because it is easier to install,and because it will never rust inside or out. Buy new rubber brake hoses because your old ones are 50+ years old and rotten. Buy new wheel cylinders because it is cheaper to buy new ones these days than it is to rebuild old ones. Master cylinders can almost always be rebuilt,so you can save a few dollars by rebuilding the one you have. Brakes are NOT the place to cut corners or to try to save money.

Then use the same hard lines on the fuel system you used on the brake system,but in a larger diameter,all new rubber brake hoses and fuel filters that are rated for use with ethanol. This is VERY important as ethanol will eat old rubber fuel hoses and plastic filters like acid,and your car might catch fire while you are driving it down the road.

Focus on brakes first,fuel system second,and then move on to other areas like the electrical system. Make it safe,and then make it reliable.

Edited June 2, 2017 by knuckleharley

[wayfarer]

...it will be a PITA to keep track of duplicate threads....can the mods combine them?

[furby714]

Thanks hardly for all that advice n not taken in a bad way at all.    All the brakes and fuel system have been redone recently. U are right i thimk am going to drive as is for now till i learn more about it to convert to 12 volt or hire some one to do it for me once again thanks for the help