6 or 12v If you were me polls wanted

My 48 cj2a should hopefully be restored here shortly and I would like to hear how many of you think I should stay original at 6volts or have it a 12v willys. I know it has been covered a lot already but im not really looking for pros and cons im wanting "if you were me in my situation"

My jeep has been supposedly not been on the road in about 35 years. when It was used last it was on a farm hauling pipe around.

I have already removed the body, tranny, tcase, rear axle, and am replacing rear axle with an already rebuilt dana 41 with Lock Rite locker. I am rebuilding front dana 25 next weekend when parts arrive. engine has receive full tuneup and paintjob valves adjusted etc. I will be adding the dual m/c from R&P for safety but other than that It will be mostly stock. I would like to add a couple small Ridgid industries led off road lights (probably only 2). and would like to add a winch but unlike my 59 cj5 this 2a would probably get a electric winch. it will be painted military body with black frame and drivetrain and motor.

For 6volt I already have a GDZ 6 volt generator and a voltage regulator already mounted on fender but I don't know if either work. and I will be needing all new gauges no matter what voltage I pick.

For 12v I have a 1 wire alternator currently bolted up to engine and new 12v coil and a new 12v battery last year. and again I don't know if these parts work either.

I have not yet had or heard the L head motor running. When I bought it, it had been converted to propane many years ago and all hoses and solenoids and such are junk and unusable and there was no fuel pump on it yet. but PO poured some gas down carburetor and it was trying to start and ran for a moment only til gas ran out.

and I do have a 52 m100 trailer to pull behind it and behind my Silverado, Suburban, other Silverado and my 59 CJ5 but the tail light bulbs in the trailer can be changed out easily in a couple mins depending on what vehicle I want to pull it with if I chose 6v for 2a

So if you were me 12v or 6 volt?

 

If I were you I'd stay stock at 6v. You can always get magnetic tow lights if need be.

 

I have several 6 volt vehicles. Not a problem.

 

I would go 12 volt , only for ease of parts down the road. You said you are going to add a winch , (electric) later. Are there any 6 volt winches ? I don't know, never looked.

 

I guess a pto winch could work for me since It would be period correct and I have a good extra one already. Although I would have to buy another pto which would still be cheaper than a new electric winch.

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I would go 12 volt. Ease of parts, compatibility, better ignition, better starting and charging systems, opens up options for the future. Plus you mentioned led lights. Can you get them in 6v? I don't know, never tried.
If this were a factory correct restoration I would say stay with 6v, but enough has been changed for safety and peace of mind I would go this one extra step and be happy.


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Nick nailed it. If it were a bone stock resto, I'd stay 6 and use a PTO winch. Other than that, since the paint, brakes, LEDs are being changed/added/upgraded, I'd go 12 volt. Seems to me that the JEEP community is one of the few, or the only, place where completely original restorations are almost more sought after than resto mods. Most folks seem to want to drive their toys with modern convenience and reliability and not be bothered with the things that make the old stuff not so user friendly. Just my point of view.

Personally, if I ever get to my old truck, I'm going to go to a 12 volt generator. Everything appears just like the 6 volt stuff so, it will look original.

 

3x on Nick's comment. 12V is just less hassle in so many ways and a much more efficient system with many times more options on various pieces. That one wire alternator probably has 3 times more output than the generator.

 

"Most folks seem to want to drive their toys with modern convenience and reliability and not be bothered with the things that make the old stuff not so user friendly. Just my point of view. "

If I may add my point of view, many of the older original components were actually much MORE user friendly, in terms of simplicity and easy repair. Not all, but many. IMHO.

But six volt or twelve, won't make a big difference in that aspect, with OEM equipment. I like your idea to still use a generator, for instance.

 

My vote is for doing the 12V conversion. I spent a couple years working for a guy that imported Series Land Rovers, and the I's and II's were all pretty much 6V (and alot of them were positive ground, no less), and equipped with the Prince of Darkness, granted. And 12V always made for a better rig.....

 

I think if you plan to show it...people get a real kick out of seeing things as stock as possible under the hood. They are not going to notice the M/C has been changed under the floor. Any led or other lights you add could be magnetically mounted so you could use it front or back and on other vehicles as well...then removed for show. The PTO winch and 6 volts will allow you to winch 20 of your buddies though the same hole back to back. An electric winch on 12 volts would be lucky to pull 5 guys through before it burned out or killed your battery. I would stick to the 6volts since you are doing a body off resto...it is just another thing to be proud of.

 

I'm a 12v guy as well. Converted my 2N Ford from 6 to 12, the '44 Willys from 6 to 12, and the A1 from 24 to 12. Makes it MUCH easier to deal with bulbs, ignitions, accessories, chargers, and swapping batteries around as well as jump starting.

 

I voted for 6 volt. For authentic looks and keeping the flatty more original.
12 volts would be the easy route.

One question is your note about the gauges, are they missing? Or do you just want to replace them?

toolman_ar

 

Certainly a lot of truth there. Particularly about jump starting.

But I have had all three (6, 12, 24) for decades, and it seems easier and cheaper (and more realistically logical) for me to keep an extra few spare bulbs handy just in case, than the time and cost of deliberately changing ALL the bulbs, AND the generators, AND voltage regulators, AND gauges and etc etc.

In the normal run of things it is only very rarely necessary to actually replace a bulb or other component. I can live with that.

 

I ditched the generator on every one of the vehicles for a GM 10si alternator. $30 with a lifetime warranty, at least the last time I bought one. With so many vehicles, I share batteries. And with the 24v setup I can use one less battery, and with the 12v on the others, I can use batteries from something else as well.

If you only have the one old vehicle and only need one battery beyond your regular cars, it wouldn't matter what the voltage was. But at 12v, the battery becomes useful in a boat, a truck, or tractor and not just the jeep. I'll be the last person on the planet to own an electric car. Batteries are a PITA. Besides, you couldn't swap it into an old jeep!

 

12 volt here too...

 

Did the 12 v conversion on my 57 cj5. I used a one wire alternator . The local electric/ignition shop had the 5/8 pulley and even installed. Have two tractors with 6v and would like to change them over too. No voltage regulator to tinker with is priceless.

 

I bought my 56 CJ5 this past May and drove it home to my place , about 15 miles...during the drive all seemed fine until I hit a few bumps...the rear body mounts were rusted away...not there...the only bolts holding the body on were one front bolt and the steering column!...so I removed the body for rust repair and saw that it was fatal...I bought a complete body tub kit and a new six volt wiring harness...got everything together and fired it up...it cranked great with all new battery, cables , and ground straps in place....if it was good enough when it was new, it's good enough for me now...all lights are very bright and there are no electrical gremlins...I don't have any radios or extra lights either...the generator does its job and a new voltage regulator helps...if your jeep is going to remain stock, then I would have no concerns at all with six volts...however, if you need extra lighting, a winch, or a CB radio then the choice is obvious...twelve volts is the way to go...it's your jeep and your call.

 

"No voltage regulator to tinker with is priceless."

Why would you need to? I've never had to touch any of mine in 40 years.