Using a 1956 Wiring harness on 1955 for 12v conversion

[JRCENTLLC]

Hello to Everyone,
I am a shop owner and have a customer with a 55 t bird. He bought is not knowing anything about old cars and unfortunately got took a bit. The car came in initially for a trans overhaul, then a engine inspection (which lead to me finding a cracked block and heads. Its a LONG story. All back together and the engine compartment harness is crumbling. Obviously it was a 6 volt car in its day. It has a GM one wire alt and 12 volt battery. I replaced the starter with a new style starter because it was original and the bendix was not liking the 12 volts. The temp gage doesn't read correctly and I believe its because of the voltage conversion.
So the question is...
The customer wants me to replace the wiring harness. Do I stay with the same year or upgrade to a year(57?) that had a 12 volt system? Is that possible? or do I just get the correct year harness and modify it? Are there gonna be under the dash wiring concerns too? and /or dash issues? I assume the bulbs had all been upgraded but I should check, this is a normal procedure correct?
I noticed no fuse block, is there a company that updates to that? Any wiring harness comp[anies to stay away from or head towards?
Thanks for any help
Jon

 

[cokefirst]

If you are going to get one of the universal EZ Wire or other wiring harnesses, it really does not make a difference. You will basically be rewiring the car using an aftermarket harness that will have little resemblance to the factory harness. Many people who have gone this route are happy with the results. Since you don't care about originality, you should make any changes you like without regard to the factory system. There was a good point about someone wanting to restore the car once you sell it. You may lose that buyer because of the modifications, but you may also pick one up who wants the newer style wiring and other modifications so it is a wash as to which way to go. Remember it is YOUR car and you need to do what makes YOU happy!

 

[doug7740]

All back together and the engine compartment harness is crumbling. Obviously it was a 6 volt car in its day. It has a GM one wire alt and 12 volt battery. I replaced the starter with a new style starter because it was original and the bendix was not liking the 12 volts. The temp gage doesn't read correctly and I believe its because of the voltage conversion.
So the question is...
The customer wants me to replace the wiring harness. Do I stay with the same year or upgrade to a year(57?) that had a 12 volt system? Is that possible? or do I just get the correct year harness and modify it? Are there gonna be under the dash wiring concerns too? and /or dash issues? I assume the bulbs had all been upgraded but I should check, this is a normal procedure correct?
I noticed no fuse block, is there a company that updates to that? Any wiring harness comp[anies to stay away from or head towards?
Thanks for any help
Jon

Jon,

You don’t need to rewire the car, all the wire for the 6V system is twice as large as need be for 12V service. If you want to just replace the engine wiring harness, CASCO sells a engine wiring harness that replaces the pieces of the main wiring harness found in the engine compartment without having to replace wiring under dash. This wiring harness terminates under dash just inside firewall.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue

 

[Oly Bob R]

Nice to know as I would like to upgrade to 12 volt. Would still have to be positive ground system.

 

[Ward 57]

Nice to know as I would like to upgrade to 12 volt. Would still have to be positive ground system.

Go one way or the other. If you try to mix it up you are asking for nothing but trouble. 6V positive ground or 12V negative ground.

 

[doug7740]

This information is to honor its author, the late Walt Nuckles.

How to 6V TO 12V Conversion​

Some of you guys are making way too big a deal of the 6V to 12 V conversion on the 55 T Bird. For instance, you don’t, or should not need a wiring diagram. You don’t need to rewire the car. All the wire for the 6V system is twice as large as need be for 12V service. The only things you need to change under the dash are the dash lamp bulbs and maybe the cigar lighter if you still smoke.

The polarity for the clock must be changed to neg. ground from pos. ground. You may need to remove the clock to do this. There is a little tab that is designed to be positioned for pos. or neg. ground. Position it for neg. ground or just disconnect it if you like. Major damage will occur if it is powered up in reverse polarity. Install a 125 ohm 10 watt resistor in series with the 6-volt clock to drop the voltage to 6 or 7 volts.

Of course the radio will need to be replaced or. converted to 12V, or powered through a voltage dropping resistor. It is not polarity sensitive. Your choice, or do nothing and disconnect it.

You do not need to change any switches or gauges. The fuel and temp gauges will work on 6 or 12 volts and are not polarity sensitive. If you miss some of the lamps you can change them after they burn out, no big deal. The direction lamp flasher also must be changed for best performance but you can change it later.

The fuses may need to be changed to values smaller than original or use the ones rated for the 56 and 57 Birds. The tail lamps, the back-up lamps and license plate lamp will need to be replaced with the 12 volt ones.

Now for the firewall forward, you do not need to change the battery cables, the horns, the horn relay or the starter. If converting to a generator install a 12V one and a 12V 30 amp voltage regulator and wire it up exactly as the 6v ones or do the alternator conversion. This is done same as a 12V generator to alternator conversion. You will need to install 12 volt headlamps and park and direction lamps. No changes in lamp wiring or the light switch is necessary, leave it alone or repair it as necessary.

Of course you will need a 12 volt battery, there are 12 volt batteries that will fit the 55-battery carrier with little or no modifications, connect it neg. ground. The 6 volt coil can be used but the polarity must be changed, just switch the bat. and dist. wires or install a 12 volt coil same as used on 56 – 73 Fords or get good used ones from salvage yards from 60 – 64 Falcons. They have yellow tops.

Now for that very minor wiring change that has everyone confused. Install a 12 volt starter solenoid such as used on 56 through 73 Ford products. They are still cheap at Autozone. It will have the extra I terminal, I as in ignition. Run a wire from the I terminal of the 12V starter solenoid to the battery terminal of the coil, remove the ignition wire that is presently attached to the coil and add a new wire about a foot long to the bat. terminal before securing the nut. Now connect both the new wire attached to the bat. terminal of the coil and the original ignition wire from the ignition switch to a new ignition resistor, Mororcraft # DY 35. When the job is done, before you start the engine, remove the field wire from the voltage regulator and strike it (draw an arc) to the battery terminal of the voltage regulator in order to properly polarize the generator then reconnect the field wire to it’s position on the voltage regulator.

The heater blower motor, the seat motors and window motors will work on 12V, but they will run very fast. The seat motor running too fast should be no problem. The heater motor running on low speed will be acceptable. The window motors will require some expertise in use in order to prevent mechanical damage but most of my customers don’t change them. Can if you want, they may cost you up to $300 ea for 12 volt window motors. You might use a dropping resistor in the motor ground wire circuit to drop the voltage but I have not determined what the correct value would have to be. Maybe someone else knows. It will have to be a very high power resistor, maybe 1000 watts and it will give off some heat. I don’t have a 6V window motor to test or I would give you the numbers. I would recommend just using the window motors as they are and release the window switch before the window gets to its stop. This may take some practice but it is easy.

Walt Nuckles
4/10/01

Footnote

If the 6 volt gauges do not work when the 12 volt conversion is made install a 10 ohm 10 watt wire wound resistor between the gauges and the power supply to gauges. If the gauges still do not work it may be necessary to replace the gauges and the sending units with 1956 12 volt units.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue