"Waking Sleeping Beauty"

Posted by Jim L. in OR On 2010/12/27 19:43:35

Happy Holidays, Gang,

I've got a puzzle. Since I brought my '55 home I haven't been able to keep away from it - at least trying some small stuff. The first thing I learned is that when I hooked the battery up and went to see which options worked by turning the key to "ACC"; the starter cranked the engine - and did so in all positions save "Off". A quick removal (thank God for center glove boxes) and check of the ignition switch confirmed the result and need for a new ignition switch. I re-installed it but left the starter wire off and found that all options work very well. I also found that when turning on the headlights that the Amp Gauge went into the "Charge" area with just the parking lights and further into "Charge" territory when turning on the headlights.
Question: The battery is hooked up with the Positive Post to ground but isn't the Amp Gauge working "backwards"? It seems to me that without the engine running the only movement of that gauge under electrical load should be into the Discharge half or am I nuts?
If the gauge IS registering "backwards" what is going on? I haven't reversed the battery hook-up (although that seems the likely next step) because I wanted to check here first. BYW I noticed when I was under the car checking things out, that the Level Control switch is a 1956 issue so could the polarity of the car have been changed at that time for that reason - and if so, what does that mean for the radio, clock and all?
One thing at least, I definitely found out the engine turns freely, though that wasn't the way I planned.

Thanks in advance,