positive ground

[zc0552]

i just bought a 1971 kadett l wagan are they positive ground?
thanks for any help.

[hrcollinsjr]

Originally Posted by zc0552 i just bought a 1971 kadett l wagan are they positive ground? thanks for any help.

Hello Neighbor,

Your Opel is negative ground.

I'm located in mid TN and make it to or through K town several times a year. My daughter had plans for UTK this fall but they didn't have plans for her, sooo it looks like she'll be attending UTC this fall.

Need anything I can help with just holler!

Harold

[zc0552]

thanks for the help someone has the battery in it positive ground.

[jtb]

I thought only the Brits did positive ground?

[namba209]

Originally Posted by jtb I thought only the Brits did positive ground?

Nope, all 6 volt Chrysler Corporation cars were positive ground too.

[yellaopelgt]

Yup...My 47 Dodge pick-up was pos gound....hook it up the "wrong" way and you'd pop all the light bulbs.It also had reverse thread lug bolts, NOT nuts.I miss that thing.....to bad top speed was a whopping 50 mph!!!
Joe

[jeff denton]

Positive ground pops up now and then around heavy equipment and big trucks. And I have no idea why a manufacturer would want to be that odd! What could be the advantage?
I think the last time I saw it was on a Mack.
How does reverse polarity affect a light bulb?

[yellaopelgt]

Not exactcly sure why it did it...might be that there was no fusable link in the system?? Or might have had somthing to do with it having a generator and not an alternator. The bulbs wouldnt "POP" per-say...just not work and need to be replaced. 6 volt system......It was a cool old truck if you could get over the ride..straight axle and all..it ran beautiful with a pallet of bricks in the back though!! My favorite thing about it was that when the motor was nice and warm I could start her up with the crank inserted through the front grill.People got a big kick out of that.....
Joe

[Mike Preble]

I have actually found that with reversing the polarity of the lights it will suck the surrounding light out of the air and cause darkness. This is only around the bulb but can be greater with higher wattage bulbs. This is also the same if you wire your speakers backwards. It sucks the sound out of the air.

This was also demonstrated when I read a book backwards. They say it sucked the knowledge out of my brain.

Mike

[namba209]

Originally Posted by yellaopelgt Yup...My 47 Dodge pick-up was pos gound....It also had reverse thread lug bolts, NOT nuts. Joe

It's been a while Joe, but IIRC only one side was reverse threaded bolts. something about the rotation keeping the bolts tightened.

[yellaopelgt]

could be Ron...I remember them being marked "L" and "R" it was a while ago....kinda miss that ol sweetie......wish I didnt have to sell it. I know I'll never find another one that clean in my lifetime. The granny gear was sooo low I didnt even have to give it gas to start out with the clutch, the engine idle was sufficient!!!!I learned to drive stick on that truck when I was 6 years old.......sigh
Joe

[opelspyder]

Older Chryslers and even Pontiacs had left handed threads on the driver's side of the car for the lug bolts, Broken a many pulling wheels and forgetting. Also I was told that positive ground was actually better, due to something with the arc of a connection, when connected. Anyways Brit cars kept it up through the 70s, and quite honestly it stinks, especially when you do upgrades, as then you have to reverse the polarity-which isn't a big deal. Also I never liked charging or jumping off a reverse polarity connection, unless I removed the cables
Keith

[jtb]

Maybe the LH threads and the positive ground go together?
My '66 MGB-GT was positive ground, and it had wire wheels with knock-offs, which were of course LH thread on one side of the car.

jtb