Technical Driving a 6V Car in Winter

Looks like it might be 80 on Christmas here so this winter driving thing isn’t too bad so far.

 

LOL yeah it going to be in the top 5 for the hottest Christmas ever here somewhere around 72* or more

 

I ran an 8 volt battery in my Cord and it turned over very well throughout the seasons. Another option is run 2 batteries and charge them on 6 volts but use a solenoid to connect the 2 in serries for 12 volt starts, this works the best.

 

I was debating on getting an 8v but didn’t really know where to get one or would my 6v generator keep it charged.

 

yes,just twist the reg up to above 9

 

Well, it was 25 F this morning and I had to charge my 12v battery to get mine to start to head to work. I should have probably thought of that before this morning...like when I was out in the shop last night working on my pickup since I knew I was driving the 51 today... I suppose I should have tried the 6v battery for better input here.

 

I broke down and bought a jump box for mine just incase it lets me down somewhere. Like I said earlier whenever spring gets here I’ll be doing a 12v conversion so I can have my ac for this summer

 

So far my car has done great with little issues other than what it took to figure out the secret handshake. All in all it’s been blast but it’s going to be a cold snap for the next week so I’m hoping for the best. I’ll say this the AGM battery I have in me woodie will turn the starter over a lot faster than a lead acid battery, but the only ones I can find around here are technically a farm battery. And they do not last for about a year or two so that’s why I’m sorta nervous about shutting it off after it was running so well

 

The 8 volt batteries work very well, if the regulator is properly set up. Added benefit is bright headlights like a 12V system. One of these made the conversion very easy

 

"Work very well" for what, may I ask? They're a band-aid suited for old worn out farm tractors. And that gimmick voltage regulator? It probably was of marginal quality (J.C. Whitney item?) when new and most likely not even available anymore. To top it all off, the typical 6 volt system charges at 7.2 volts. Plus .4 equals 7.6 volts. That's not gonna charge your 8 volt battery.

Must I remind you guys again that the focus of the H.A.M.B. is traditional hot rods, not beaters. (sorry if I impinged on your territory, Mods).

 

Wow, that was pretty special- somebody whizz in your Wheaties this morning? I'm guessing you've never actually tried it, like most 8V naysayers. I know from actual experience that they work quite well to help with cold weather starting, been done many times by open-minded folks. I personally ran two different rigs that had to start reliably every day in snow country for over 10 years with this setup with zero failures. Marginal quality from J.C Whitney? Maybe you didn't recognize the well-known brand, Blue Streak from Standard Motor Products, Inc. To top it all off, you have a great day now, y'hear? Thanks for reminding me why I very rarely post anything here, and just read lol. Bye

 

Okay kids play nice now……..

 

I like the push to polarize thing, it sure beats out having to use a wire and pray you remembered which poles to short out. I’m not gonna lie it’s kinda been YEARS since I messed with a voltage regulator. On this car I’m having to relearn how to do a bunch of stuff that was second nature at one time. This is where I miss my dad the most because he was a walking encyclopedia when it came to the flathead and shoebox fords

 

6 volt runs great.

 

No idea what that blue streak box is, but I like it! Gotta watch for one of them.

 

I was thinking the same thing!

 

They are pretty handy and very well made, they allow you to adjust the regulator with the knob and a voltmeter without having to go inside- and they will adjust far enough to adequately charge an 8V. There are also 12V versions

 

Why am I not surprised by this

 

agree wholeheartedly on the 8 v upgrade--had an old gmc drove for years that way

 

Well I swapped the cars and put the Tudor in the garage for some maintenance and another waxing and tossed my woodie out into the elements so to speak under the carport. Believe me I feel really guilty about doing this but it’s not going to rain or snow anytime soon but it got me thinking, back in the day they just drove these without any care. Nobody cared if it was raining, snowing or anything else they just had a utility vehicle that did the job. Here I am babying the rascal and hoping that the cold will not do something crazy to my wood. Now I’m wondering how in the world did my car survive as long as it did before we restored it whenever they drove these everyday.

 

I would guess it depends on what part of the country you live and how harsh the winter is in your area, here in the upstate of South Carolina the temperature rarely gets in the single digits so the 6 volt battery can usually handle the freezing weather, I drove a '66 VW van at work and never had any problems with the van cranking.

The 6 volts lighting was another story, someone driving a 12 volt car behind you at night you could see a shadow of you car in front of you. HRP

 

Possibly it could shrink you woodie if it got too cold! LOL

 

LOL yeah it will definitely do that

 

8 volt batteries are available at battery rebuild / repair shops

 

There’s a place called Batteries Plus that has them, they are a chain store that has batteries for anything you want or need

 

someone got their polarize ****on pushed

 

You can get 6 volt halogen headlight bulbs these days. Make a big difference. Also using LEDs in the taillights help the headlights.

 

Okay now that the subject has been brought up it’s reminding me to ask…….can an LED bulb be used on a 6v system or do you have to find one voltage specific?

 

Answer is, I'm not sure. I've tried it and had the rear lights only come on when they felt like it, but that might have had another cause. I've heard people say that as long as you don't buy the cheapest possible ones from ebay/China, then the good quality ones, from reputable suppliers work pretty well.

The other thing to remember about six volt electrics is that if you have an issue, it's ALWAYS the earth. Renew/clean and/or add an extra earth cable from the engine block to the frame will help starting, and a starter relay is also a good idea. Same goes for the lights.

All this stuff worked properly when it was new. If it doesn't work now, then it's because there's a problem.