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a few years ago i replaced my entire wiring with a brand new harness 6v.....now im thinking id like to convert teh car to 12v 6v simply is junk the car starts poor, headlights and taillights are dim... its just a headache, any good old timers out there that can tell me exactly what to do, or for now what 6v sealed beam headlights can i buy ??? id really like to just convert it to 12v for starting purposes also...... would i need another wiring harness? i see people converting old trucks from 6v to 12v just buy a few changes such as bulbs, and coil etc and leaving the orig harness........ and fianlly somone told me once there was a special battery that he bought that started a 6v car on 12v then swiched back to 6v for running, i called several battery companies and they laughed said no such thing, maybe that old timer lost his memory, but swears he bought one once, couldnt remember where.... any help is appreciated.....thanks in advance !!



2nd question... is the 37 115 six negative or positve ground ? it runs both ways im confused ??

The batteries are available. Here is one source and there are others.antiqueautobattery.com/prod011.htm

You might also check out Fifth Avenue garage. They have information that might be useful if you go ahead with the project.fifthaveinternetgarage.com/parts/index.html

Your wiring harness will work fine if it is in good condition but there will be several who will give you an argument as to whether the change is necessary. One thing that really dims lights and causes hard starting is poor connections--particularly the grounds. Another is size of battery cables and the modern replacement cables just will not do. 6volts is much fussier in that regard since not much can afford to be lost. The car will work with positive or negative ground as nothing is polarity sensitive in those years other than the radio. Some of those are isolated enough internally to not care. Normally, the car was positive ground and if the coil is still wired that way, there will be a slight loss of efficiency.

if your car doesn't start quickly on 6-volt, there is a significant problem somewhere; converting to 12-volt just masks the problem - better to find out what it is and address it.

G'day 1937packard115,
to PackardInfo and for including your '37 Six Sedan in the Packard Owner's Registry.

I would take a good look at the battery,battery cables and grounds.If the battery checks out,try a voltage drop test at ground connections.Also six volt battery cables are larger,so make sure they are the proper gauge.Your car should be positive ground.Also-oil and grease can work its way between the starter and bellhousing resulting in slow cranking speed.
If your wanting to add a 12 volt accesorie,get a convertor.
I bought 5amp one on ebay for $70.00.t handles the radio and lighter for cell phone charging.(5 amps is not enough for a cig lighter)

Check Hemmings for the sealed beam kit,you may not need it when you find your trouble....
RT

P.S
6 volt positive ground alternators are available,I installed one on my 38.Much faster charging at idle.

If the above advise still does not fix the problem-get someone to check out the starter. It probably has carbon buildup on the commutator which acts like a resistor reducing voltage. Generally just cleaning it up and replacing the brushes

thank you all very much for the help !!!!!!!!! i will begin to look into this now that spring is here...... i really appreciate the help !!!

Truly there isn't a need to convert to twelve volts. Here's a video I did just for you, cold starting our 1929 Packard Custom 8. Here is a picture of the batteries, dual Optima 6 volts in parallel.

youtube.com/watch?v=3zARehua6vs

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G'day all, Great video, the start up sounds just like the Packard Merlin that I had in the Seventies. I ended up selling it to some power boat nuts because of complaints from neighbours. I loved the motor but the neighbours just didn't understand! Best regards, Peter Toet