Folks, I attended the annual Easter Car Show hosted by the Horseless
Carriage Club with the mission to survey the electrical system polarities.
I automatically discounted anything with an alternator (figuring a positive
ground car would be converted to negative ground if a conversion to
alternator was performed), anything with chrome engine parts (not original)
and, of course any hot rods. I paid particulay attention to those cars in
the concours judging.
Here's a sampling of what I found:
Positive Ground:
1955 Clipper
1949 Packard
1939 Hudson
1948 Ford Super Delux
1954 Ford (6 volt)
Negative Ground:
1954 Pontiac
1957 Pontiac
1957 Chevrolet
1959 Cadillac Hearse
1957 Ford Fairlane
1951 Buick Straight 8
1958 Edsel
1956 Desoto
1956 T'bird
1956 Buick
1949 Willys Jeep
An important point is that I observed NO GM products that were positive
ground. I think it unlikely that GM's were once positive ground and ALL
have been converted to negative ground - especially in the concours group.
Another item is that I was told by a guy showing a Chevy (but who clamed to
like them all) that Ford changed to 12 volt systems in 1955.
Although I found no smoking gun to prove it, I also found nothing to refute
the supposition that GM lead the field in sales and the other manufacturers
fell in line and converted to negative ground - not because it is better
from a technical standpoint but because of inertia -GM had it and the
others didn't.
Cheers
Dave
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