Switch to 12 volt system or not?

I have a 54 Packard Henney Sr. that I am trying to restore. It is a 6 volt system. Is it better to leave it or switch to a 12 volt system? I do not want to do anything that will hurt the value of it, I am trying to keep it as original as I can, but am willing to make some changes as long it doesn't hurt me in the long run. Thanks in advance for any advice.
 
If everything is working as it was originally designed, the 6 volt system will work just as well as any 12 volt system. The reason that the car manufacturers went to 12 volt is because of the increased use of electrical accessories, such as electric power windows, air conditioning, and the larger displacement and compression of the engines, etc..
 
I am having some problems that I can't seem to get worked out and was wondering if the 6 volt system is making it harder to get these things fixed. As I said I want to keep it as original as I can but everyone around here keeps telling me to switch it over.
 
With a 12v system, your lights will be brighter, horn will be louder and it will start easier. It's not hard to do. You'll need a new alternator, 12 v battery, the starter will need to be rewound to 12v. You will also need all new lights, resistors on the gauges and radio (if it has one), new fuel level sender, distributor, coil, and condensers. I'm sure I'm forgetting something but this will get you started. Don't worry about new wiring unless you too. 6v wire is a heavier gauge than 12v so it handle the extra current just fine.
 
In short, what Pat is saying is that you are going to be putting a lot of unnecessary money into this car to solve some problems that you have not been able to resolve so far. It is my suspicion that the reason that these problems have not been able to be resolved, is that the people that you have tasked to do this work, don't have the necessary experience to fix the problems. This isn't saying that they are not good mechanics, or technicians, but they just don't have the know how. The closes correlation that I can give you, is a doctor that normally does internal surgeries attempting to do plastic surgery. They are both surgery, but the expertise required for both is different. You need to find an experienced old time mechanic, or at least one that understands the system as originally designed. Converting it to 12 volt is using the band aid method. If it is hard starting, then you need to find the root cause of the hard starting, now spin the motor over faster to compensate for a defective part.
Please list the various problems that you have with this car, and we can start helping resolve them, one at a time. If the car started and ran on 6 volts when new, there is no reason that it can't start and run on 6 volts today.
 
Paul, I believe you are right, my main problem is finding someone that knows how to work on these older cars. Most everyone around here that knew how to work on them has died!

I can't believe that everyone that knew how to work on them has died, however, I do realize that there are less of them alive and willing to work on them today. Please give me an example of what needs to be done, and possibly I can teach you how to do the work yourself, within your physical restraints. I don't expect you to be changing clutches, but doing basic tasks such a tune up, isn't that difficult. I can tell you that there are a lot of original 6 volt car owners within the Professional Car Society.
 
Thanks Paul for the offer, but I physically can't do the work due to arthritis in my hands, I have no strength to turn screws and bolts. I have had the engine, starter, generator and the carburetor rebuilt. I have replaced he fuel pump, air filter, all hoses, battery and whatever else someone told me that needed to be replaced. It still does not run right. I spoke to Peter Graves and he told me to get the carburetor rechecked and to put an electric fuel pump on it. Then I have to find someone to check out the transmission.
 
What does it do when it's running? Is it a miss, rough, not idling correctly. I love 6 v cars! Had a number of them and would love to have another.
 
The gas tank was stopped up and not letting the gas through, so I had it taken off and completely redone. I had the carburetor rebuilt but the idle will stay where it is set. It will be fine but after I drive it a short distance, it will be like the choke is sticking, idling very fast. Also, when I drive up a hill, it acts like I am giving it gas and letting off continuously (not quite sure how to describe it).
 
It's surging. It could be a faulty fuel pump. Sometimes they are bad from factory. The float could be sticking in the carb. Do you have a rubber line anywhere in the fuel line? It could be collapsing inside the hose under heavy vacuum demand. Is the fuel line original? Also, if it idles high once it's warmed up, the timing could be advanced. Have it backed off a little and see that helps. I forget, what make of car do you have?
 
The gas tank was stopped up and not letting the gas through, so I had it taken off and completely redone. I had the carburetor rebuilt but the idle will stay where it is set. It will be fine but after I drive it a short distance, it will be like the choke is sticking, idling very fast. Also, when I drive up a hill, it acts like I am giving it gas and letting off continuously (not quite sure how to describe it).

Converting the car to 12 volts isn't going to resolve any of these issues. You definitely have a fuel issue, and it could be stale gas, or that the carburetor needs to be rebuilt. The gasoline that is used today attacks the rubber parts in the carburetor, including the plastic floats. If the person that rebuilt the carburetor didn't use a currently manufactured rebuild kit, and used an older kit, that can be the carburetor problem. The same goes for the fuel pump, if it wasn't rebuilt with new diaphragms that resist the effects of the gasoline, it could be functioning below its intended pressures. Are you having your original parts rebuilt, or are they being swapped for replacement parts. If replacement parts, the carburetor might fit on the engine, but the jetting inside the carburetor might not be correct for your engine.
I had a similar problem of surging on one of my cars when climbing a hill, and I resolved it by switching spark plug brands. The original plugs were failing under load, and misfiring.
 
Hi Pat, I have a 54 Packard Henney Sr. with a 359 strait 8. I have replaced all the hoses. I think the fuel pump is bad even though I replaced it. I spoke with Peter Graves and have decided to put an electric fuel pump on it. I had the carburetor rebuilt but before he could adjust it, the engine blew a head gasket. I had the gasket replaced and put a cast iron head on it. I am going to take it back to the gentleman who rebuilt the carburetor and see if he can adjust it now to get it to idle right.
 
If you changed the head, do you know if they checked it for cracks? Could be a vacuum leak due to a crack in the head. Should have been checked if it wasn't.
 
I would have a vacuum test done on it as well. Just because it's guaranteed and "looks" good doesn't necessarily mean that it is. But before you do that, get your fuel system worked out.
 
I have a 54 Packard Henney Sr. that I am trying to restore. It is a 6 volt system. Is it better to leave it or switch to a 12 volt system? I do not want to do anything that will hurt the value of it, I am trying to keep it as original as I can, but am willing to make some changes as long it doesn't hurt me in the long run. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Linda: We also have a 1954 H-P Senior Ambulance we are restoring and ultimately decided to keep it 6 volt mainly because all the tunnel, spot lights, Federal "Q" + a 6-V Air Compressor for a LARGE-LONG RF Fender Mount Air Horn were already there and working properly. MM
 
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