Consensus of opinion

My 31 Tudor had an alternator when I bought it. It was painted black and did NOT stick out in the engine compartment. FWIW
Paul in CT
 
My regular cell phone charger and GPS charger work just fine on 6 volts. (They only draw about 4 1/2 or 5 volts anyway. Look at your charger and see what it says in the side.) I installed a cigarette lighter style socket on each car. You do have to reverse the polarity on the socket.

W. Michael
 
Usually the only thing that goes wrong with an alternator is that brushes wear out. They can easily and cheaply be replaced.

I took my 1971 Datson to the dealer to have the alternator repaired. The only thing wrong was that the brushes needed replacing. They put in a new alternator. After that I always did the work myself.
 
souped up generator- always repulsed at looking at alternators in model As......

just look so wrong.
 
Generators are simpler and usually more dependable than an alternator.

I've repaired both for 6 decades. Its usually easier to fix the generator.

Generators on old cars as what they came with and alternators on newer cars as what they came with.

If someone needs more output for some reason, then install an alternator [ just paint it black]. But I've not really seen anything that a generator can't run. The old 3 brush generators will put out 14-15 amps and easily 14 volts.
 
Bob Bidonde said:
The alternator, in comparison to a generator, is the performance winner:
>Higher current output to charge the battery very much quicker;
>Superior solid state regulation in lieu of the Cutout, and does not require output adjustment for nighttime driving;

>Enables use of brighter modern lighting;
>Choice of operating voltage, 6V or 12V;
>Relatively maintenance free;

>Available in most auto parts stores & rebuilding shops are common place.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, that is not the case around here. New Delco 10SI units are being manufactured by DB Electric in China however no big-box parts stores carry them in-stock, ...especially ones with a 6v Positive ground. The special internal regulator (-which is generally what fails) is difficult for most rebuild shops to source. The pulley is difficult to source outside of a Model-A arts vendor. At one time, they were probably a great alternative however they are just as troublesome as a stock generator from my perspective.

Something else to consider is most rebuilders have scrapped their 10SI cores because they were worth more as scrap (i.e.: copper) than as a core.
 
Well, lots to consider, had an alternator on and the readings bounced all over the scale. So my lil bro ( electrical engineer) says it is no good. Hence the query, once I began looking at the prices and recovered my breath, the question for that amt, of money where do I spend it. Alt. Does look ugly on the car, but is a generator ok? So as I was digging thru my stuff looking for a pulley lo and behold I find four generators, two of which on test seem to charge. If either of the two functions on the car, problem solved one had a tag reading “tested oct 91 good output” so I will try that one, might save couple hundred dollars, plus postage.
 
Generator. If your battery is down and will not start, you can push or hand crank. With an alternator have to push very fast to get it to charge.
 
Installed a Powermaster Alt. on my 30, 31 model 'A's and 39 chevy..Looks like a Generator, but brighter lights and the horn blows with the lights on. More expensive then a generator but well worth the cost. Love mine!! I Agree with post 18.
 
If your ashamed at your alternator don't open that side! I have a friend that runs 12v alternator. I have a generator because I like the originality antiquity as others have said. Neither really effect driving it. I did opt for 6V LED headlights for night driving. They're ok they don't really look the part which bothered me,but I accepted it since When its dark nobody is really looking at the car while I'm driving it anyway. If you want alternator go alternator if you want generator do that. I'm rarely hurt by what other do to their cars...except chopping up good original cars. That hurts.
 
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