newer cars (Not all cars but many built early 90's and up) started using sense circuits in the ecm. these newer ecms, used a lot of low voltage sensor circuits. these circuits are easily corruptable by voltage spikes and EMI (do you know what EMI is?)

These late model cars are sensitive to grounding and shielding to keep extraneous noise out. When noise is introduced to these signals, they couple onto the signal lines and give false voltage signals to the receiver circuits. These cars are sensitive.

The 70's chrysler electronic ignition and voltage regualtor or any other electronics in there are not sensitive to this. The radio would pick up electrical noise but thats about it. All of the other electronics are discrete components except for some robust transistors in the radio and ECU. they dont carry the low power (millivolt, milliamp) components that todays cars have.

The alternator is very stout. it cant be blown up unless you overheat it by overcharging or shorting the output out or by dropping it. those diodes used for rectifying the output are high power diodes. they have to be. they dont die easy but they can be killed but the methods i just listed. they can also wear out (heat is a semiconductors enemy).

real old school uses tubes. they required a heck of alot of voltage to kill. or you could drop one. and yeas the wear out (heaters wear out so the electrons wont jump)

anymore questions?

I just realized that I didnt fully answer your questions. as to types of diodes, there are lots of them. there are PN junction, schottky, Zeners, rectifier etc. but the important fact is what are the diodes parameters. they have forward junction voltages, reverse breakdown voltages and current limitations. they range from little whimpy easily blown up diodes to big strong robust high power diodes that can handle some power. same with transistors. FETs Mosfets, mos, pnp, npn and they too have different parameters.

the older electronics in 70's cars used higher power components. not these microamp and milliamp stuff they use today.

It's got a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas.