Positive Ground?

Hey Guys,

Thanks a LOT for the quick replies.

(my buddy owes ME a 12 pack!)

Those old American LaFrance Fire Engines had positive ground on them. Dangerous to jump start and charge with a charger if you didn't know that.

Cars from Oz! Them and their unslanted six!

My dad's 51 hudson hornet is pos ground too.

Many old 6V cars were pos. ground. Back when "we" used generators, many regulators were sold as pos or neg. ground. The only real difference in regulators is the contact structure--to prevent arcing. Some replacement aftermarket regulators had contacts that could be used either way

When you replaced a generator, you "flashed" it to magnitise it correctly for whatever polarity. I believe some weird trucks (dunnooo, White?) were 12V pos ground. In the two-way radio market, some older radios were built for either pos. or neg, and you can still buy a pos to neg inverter/ converter.

It's too darn bad that when the car makers went 12, they didn't keep going to at least 24V. Smaller wire--less amperage--solves a LOT of wiring / voltage drop problems.

Many log trucks/ highway tractors used to use a 12/24V solenoid--24V for startup. They are a wiring nightmare.

just about every 6V car I've seen used a positive ground.

I also have personal experience that Packard used a 12V positive ground from somewhere in the early 50s to 1955. they made the switch to negative ground in 1956.

I had to be VERY AWARE of what I was doing, when hooking the battery charger up from car to car, when you have 1955 Packard carribean convertible sitting next to a 1956 Packard carribean convertible, and they look damn near identical!

I have an old Motor's Manual and it show's 53-56 as postive grounds. BTW they were 6 volt..