Alright, I have a 1950 Plymouth that I got out of the shop a month or so ago. When I got her home I popped the hood and realized that the mechanic had wired the battery up backwards (it's a 6V + Ground system). However, the car still started.... now a DC motor will turn in the opposite direction if moved, but I can't figure out how it was able to start the engine if it was running in reverse. Or is there something I'm missing here? John
Had this happen years ago with a friends 68 corvette.Took his dead battery to get it charged guy at the gas station was a drunk, charged it up backwards. Starter motor turns the same direction regardless of polarity(universal motor) or series field I think we used to call them.You should have seen all those gauges going crazy.Radio would't work but it ran ok.Finaly figured it out didn't hurt anything and the radio started working again.
Ok... that makes some sense then. The voltage regulator sounded like a pinball machine (I just ***umed it was busted after sitting for so many years and drove it home). I was fortunate enough that it disengaged the generator from the battery after a bit and I arrived at my house with only a dead battery. John