BUILD THREAD Project I better learn what I'm doing

[WisconsinCutlass]

Quick update and question. Car hasn't started on fire since my wiring job so that's a good sign. Been messing with my carb tuning. Have a thread started for that. ( https://gbodyforum.com/threads/holley-4160-carb-tuning-questions.67552/#post-618908)
I was thinking about suspension upgrades today and was looking for people's opinions. Do you think the price of front coil overs is worth not having to deal with a coil spring compressor when putting together the front end? The car will mainly be a cruiser with slight drag use so coilovers are probably overkill but I know coil spring compressors can be dangerous and I've never used one. It'll be awhile before I get to that point just looking for people's opinions. And a pic from last week. It looks good from 30ft. Just don't get any closer.

 

[Mike T]

I like the way it sits.

 

[565bbchevy]

It does appear to be a little higher in the back but since both your pictures were taken at different locations I would want to see it on level ground.

 

[mclellan83]

Looking good to me

 

[WisconsinCutlass]

Alright, I have more noob questions for the car gurus. I just replaced my intake manifold gasket and as long as I have stuff taken apart I was going to try and clean up wiring and hoses a bit.

My car is setup to bypass the heater box and a/c. There is a coolant hose that runs from the itanke at back of the engine, driver side, to the water pump. Does this hose need to be ran from this spot on the intake? Can I move it to the passenger side port at the back of the engine? Even better can I move it the the port on the front of the intake to be even closer to the water pump?

Also what is this plug that is on my alternator? I traced the brown wire in my wiring diagram and it looks like it goes to the fuse block in the car. What is it for? Do I need it? The red wire coming out of the plug was connected to the positive stud on the alternator. What's is this doing?

 

[fleming442]

The brown wire turns the regulator on- yes, you need it. The looped red is the voltage sense for said regulator.

 

[WisconsinCutlass]

The brown wire turns the regulator on- yes, you need it. The looped red is the voltage sense for said regulator.

I guess I won't cut it out then. Forgive my ignorance but what does the regulator do? Is there any other / better way for me to wire it?

 

[Mike T]

Cars used to have two components, the generator and the voltage regulator that supplied regulated power to the car to run the electrical systems and to keep the battery charged. At some point in the dim and distant past, early sixties I think, they combined the two components into what is now the alternator. They are however, still two separate components located in the same housing and much more integrated than in years passed.

It is the regulator that controls how much amperage the alternator produces. Otherwise the faster you turned the motor, the faster the alternator would spin, creating ever higher amps that the electrical systems had no present use for. Can you say, "Fire under the hood? Sure you can."

By the way, it used to be that the alternator ran almost all of the cars electrical systems. Now however, the battery assumes responsibility for some systems requiring that the alternators run "hotter" in order to keep the battery charged as the systems draw current from the battery.