My 1955 Thunderbird is completely stock w. 292 Teapot and Load-a-matic distributor.   Can I swap in a 1957 Ford Distributor with my 6 volt system or must I convert to 12v?  I will be also using a Holley 4100 carb. I know about the tach drive.

The distributor doesn't care about voltage.  It will work just fine on 6 volts.  I ran 55 Crown that way for 20 years.  Converted to 12 volt during restoration- one of the best things I did to it.  

Ben HessTulsa,OK

Will a Pertronix Ignition module work with 6 volts?

Not sure.  I have read where some had a 6 volt unit but seem to remember problems with them.  May have been ver. 1s.  I put in a Pertronix after I changed to 12 volts-works great.
Ben

Ben HessTulsa,OK

The 6V are made for LoadaMatic distributors, I think they mount differently on the breaker plate so it may not fit the 57 plate? Go to their website and read, or call them..

I tried it in my '55 Fairlane and it was unsatisfactory.
Evidently the Pertronix requires a bit more electrical oomph than the points.

What happened with me was the engine would crank but never kick like it wanted to start UNTIL I let off the key.  That was the case every time I tried to start it.
Sometimes if you got it just right with a bit of luck you could get it to start on that kick, but not often enough to rely on it. 

So I went back to points. 

I would consider changing to 12 volt too.  Just decided to keep the car basically original at this point.  It's only got 45,000 miles on it and everything else seems to be bone stock.

I am torn between better performance and originality.  My car is untouched.  It must have been in a can all it's life.  It looks like an older restoration as the paint has a few scratches here and there, but it's rust free and drives fine.  Mechanically, it's the same as it rolled off the showroom floor.  I'll probably switch over to 12 Volts, '57 distributor, '57 heads and Holley and keep all the original parts in a box.  It will be a much better performing and driving car, even if it's no longer original.  

Mean dean, I've had that happen on a couple different cars. I don't know how your's was wired, but the coil wire thru the resistor has no voltage at cranking. Voltage to the points is supplied from the starter solenoid terminal on most 12 volts cars. I don't remember how my bird was wired before I changed it to 12 volts, so I don't remember if they used that terminal on the solenoid for 6 volts, or if the 6 v used a resistor. But it's happened to me on other makes where the ign sw doesn't have run or accessory in the start position. Was a shock when it started when released but not when cranking.

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

I wonder if a Bypass Wire from "I" Terminal on a later Solenoid with 2 small Terminals as used on 12 Volt Fords would have solved the Problem.? That would provide a full 6 Volts direct to Coil to start it. If it appeared to start when the Key was released to "Run" Position tells Me there was not 6 Volts available in the "Start" Position when the Key was turned. Just a Suggestion.. 


  

Maybe it was the Pertronix, but when that happened to me on a conventional points system  I found out that I wired it incorrectly 




54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ