I inherited my 55 Tbird from my dad, who complained of hard starting, particularly after the engine had reached normal operating temperature, and he asked me to convert it to 12v and install a Casco high-volume water pump & 170-degree thermostat. When converting it to 12v, I followed the instructions posted by Gil Baumgartner on CTCI Gil's Garage. After converting the Tbird to 12v, my dad said that it had never started so easily. He was happy with the conversion, but he only got to drive the car to his local donut shop a few more times before Alzheimer's got him. As far as overheating went, it needed more than a Casco water pump and thermostat. Although the original radiator (date coded December, 54) didn't leak, I could look inside the tank and see that the core was rotten. 

A single Group 56 12v battery was used for the 12v conversion, and the original battery tray was retained. 

I bought a 55 BIRD in 1970 I think it was. Beautiful car and had both tops.

Didn't take long for me to shake it due to the 6V SYSTEM, wouldn't get out of it's way (LOM - SINGLE RANGE TRANS) and burnt the hell out of my butt (mufflers right under seat).

This was the MUSCLE CAR DAYS and this just didn't cut it.

If I had kept it (and my 67 GT-500), I would be sitting pretty today. Who figured?

Another way around it - 


"2-6 volt batteries in parallel gives you 6 volt with double the amps.
2-6 volt batteries in series gives you 12 volt.
He converted over to a 12volt system generator/alternator doesn't matter which.
He then tapped 6 volt from just 1 battery to power any and all the 6 volt components.
A separate fuse panel for 6volt.
Took 12 volt off both batteries to power any and all 12 volt components.
A separate fuse panel for 12volt.
No special batteries,charging system, regulators, shunts, resistors, etc, etc, etc.
Just stock off the shelf stuff.
Yes there are 2 different voltages running through the car so check voltage on any wire before you add or change wiring.
This is no different than wiring in your house with 120/ 240 volt.
No the 2 voltages do not interfere with each other or cause any other problems." 

SOURCE -
https://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/forum/your-studebaker-forum/tech-talk/63104-another-6v-to-12v-conversion


Also, that CONV ALT is a DELCO ONE WIRE most likely. Research the benefit(s) of wiring it as a THREE WIRE.

____________________________

I’m with Daniel. I’ve seen too many failures with 50 year old wiring. Rebel’s good, Ron Francis, American Autowire, just to name a few.

When I redid the bird, I kept those junction blocks in your picture. You can still buy the bullet terminals, but there’s a couple sizes if I remember, watch that.

If your switches are still good, the 6 volt ones are good for more amps than the 12v, so just clean them up and reuse them. I also like to make a couple grounding points (under dash, trunk, under hood) and tie them back to the battery. Eliminates the problem of bad grounds between dirty, rusty body panels.

It looks overwhelming at first, but with some forethought a good kit will move you thru it. And don’t forget a ballast resistor and the proper starter solenoid going to the points for starting.

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

I would highly suggest you replace your wiring harness. Cracked insulation and the deteriorated condition of your wiring will only lead to shorts and subsequent fires... even if you win this gamble, there will be headaches down the road chasing faulty grounds. 

I went this route on my 1955 Ford Fairlane Club Sedan: https://www.hotrodreverend.com/post/2017/09/30/55-ford-fairlane-restoration-blog-part-18

The connector in your uploaded photo - those are all bullet terminals, just pull them straight out of the connector.

Daniel Jessup

Lancaster, California

aka "The Hot Rod Reverend"
check out the 1955 Ford Fairlane build at www.hotrodreverend.com

Hey fellas, long time no see. 
So I finally got fed up with worrying about going dead out on the road, not being able to be jumped, and just essentially the low cranking and difficulty starting due to that. So I finally got the conversion kit from Vintage Auto Garage, got the original looking Alternator generator shell and everything because while I'm doing this I do want to look as original as possible still.

I went ahead and took off all the wound electrical tape I'd put on years ago to take a look at my wiring. I thought it might be a good idea to post pictures here to see if you guys think anything here looks wonky or non-factory under the hood. Obviously I don't know the full history of the car or what might have been rewired. 




Also I'm curious about this connector here, what I suppose is the antique predecessor to the Molex connector of today. Some of the wires on this thing look pretty crusty and some are even missing insulation where they go into the connector here. I'm curious how these connectors work and how one goes about pulling the wires out so they can be repaired and reinserted. It doesn't look like they're pressed in or anything.



Also do you think this might be a good location for the 120V main-feed fuse? Just above the heater vent? (btw yeah I just noticed the area of insulation missing now that Im looking at the picture)