Hey guys, Chris again from ClassicVWBugs.com. On today's tip, I want to talk to you about is converting your car from 6 volt to 12 volt. I get this question asked all the time. Is it worth converting your older bug to a 12 volt bug. If you don't know in 1967 was the first year the bug went 12 volts in America. '67 and earlier was still 6 volts. And my older bugs, like this 56 I have here, I still try to keep everything stocked because I'm one for the vintage stock look and you know I'll keep it 6 volt. I've not had a problem with 6 volt. I get a lot of people telling me that the lights are dim and just things aren't working well, blinkers aren't bright enough and things like that.
What's happening is that a lot of times, you're having a 6 volt system but you're buying a 12 volt bulb to go into the car with the headlights or the blinker and of course, it's going to come up dim. You have to get 6 volt bulbs so it's nice and bright. I've never had a problem with my brightness of my bulbs or my blinkers with 6 volts. As long as you get a 6 volt bulb, you should be okay.
The only time I really would convert to 12 volts is when I have a 1600 engine that I'm going to put into an earlier car, the later model engines that ran 12 volt. I would use, I would convert them into 12 volts. If you're running the 1200 engines or the 1192 cc engines or 36 volts and 40 horse engines, they were meant to be 6 volts. So I'll leave them at 6 volts.
You can convert them as well. You'll have to get an alternator and then you would of course change all your bulbs, change your regulator and all that sort of thing. But as far as the myth goes, when it comes to 6 volts, I've not had a problem at all. I mean there's an issue I guess, if I want to have a radio in your car. You want to get an up converter to play the 12 volt radio. But I guess I'll use my cars for show pretty much and if I didn't want to use it as a daily driver, I would not have a problem running it with 6 volts. As long as you get the proper bulbs and what not, -- to work with 6 volts system, you should be fine.
Now, the other question I get is do I have to change my wires. If I go to a 12 volt system? You do not have to change your wires if you're going to a 12 volt system. Those wires will handle 12 volts without a problem. So, that's just a quick tip for you guys today I mean, I just get that question asked as a lot, as they wanted to go 6 volts and people do down 6 volts a lot and I really haven't had an issue with them so.
Anyways, alright! That's that tip for you today. If you have got any questions e-mail me chris@ClassicVWBugs.com or at my website www.ClassicVWBugs.com. Take care.
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