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I'm having to use a modern-day 6V coil with the positive and negative power connections from the switch and to the distributor. The original coil has the connection from the switch connecting to the base of the coil inside the firewall. My plan is to extend the switch wire through the firewall and connect this wire to one of the 2 leads on the coil. My question is should this wire go to the similar negative lead of the coil, with the positive lead then going to the distributor? The negative ground circuitry leads me to this question. thanks in advance for the help.

What you have sounds like what I did with my '46 Clipper Deluxe in June. I bought a new hotter 6v coil with the standard posts on top. I removed the existing through-the-firewall coil by removing the three screws. I removed the bottom of it to get the wire connecting to the ignition switch disconnected. The screw was rock solid not going to come out, so I cut the wire to remove it. I got some crimp connectors and connected a piece of 10ga wire to it, being certain that the connections were crimped tightly. Wat has a pretty powerful grip, so not much to fear about that. Now, I had a wire through the firewall (using the existing coil hole) and I'm ready for the new coil.


The new coil came with no mounting bracket. I tried a couple of the box auto parts stores to no avail - it's not in their computers. One guy told me that you can't get them online even. I think it took me about 8 seconds to find the one that Jeff Bezos was selling, so it arrived two days later and for about $7. I used a couple of self-tapping screws to mount the new coil close enough to the old coil hole so that the wire to the distributor would still reach. This I connected to the positive post on the coil since it's a positive ground system. The new extended wire from the ignition switch got connected to the negative post on the coil. I installed the coil wire to the distributor, turned the key and she fired up immediately.


If I weren't so lazy, I'd go out and take a picture.


Good luck!!!

Other cars also used the old thru firewall coil and replacing with the two terminal more modern type was common in the 50s. There were even brackets made for the purpose. You can still occasionally find them on ebay although I would not use them the way several have done by running the hot wire thru a slot in the bracket. IMO, another hole in the firewall should be made close by the coil so the original wire could be extended and brought out but protected by a grommet. Hookup is the same as any coil and in the case of a positive ground car, the positive coil terminal will be going to the distributor and the negative terminal to the extended armored cable wire.

Here is a photo of the 50s bracket. I wanted a modern coil but with a more stock look so built a custom bracket and adapter for my 47.

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  47 coil bracket.jpeg (90.64 KB)


  Coil holder.jpg (156.09 KB)