A: I am unaware of a 12 volt kit. Conversion is expensive and quite involved. The 6 volt system will work well if clean. If you are having starter troubles there is an inexpensive, quick fix in a 6 volt starter relay for that problem detailed in this month's Registry magazine. I suggest you own the car for a while before you commit to the conversion. The 12 volt conversion is useful if you want to run
modern electronics or if you drive a lot in cold weather.

I wrote this when I converted my '55 cabriolet from 6 to 12 volts in November, 1998. There are many other ways that are just as good or better.

1. 12 volt generator, rebuilt, about $240 after paying a core charge. The usual source is an early 912. A later 912 generator doesn't fit, it has a bigger diameter. A remanufactured 12 volt VW is $143 from a VW parts supplier, no core charge. Harry Pellow has some small-diameter 912 generators as do other 356/912 suppliers. If you have the 16 vane fan, consider upgrading to the 28 vane while the generator is out of the car. If a VW fan would fit, a new one is only $20. The physical location of the terminals on my 12 volt generator were opposite from the 6 volt locations, so in re-wiring be sure to wire D+ from voltage regulator to D+ on generator, etc.

2. 12 volt voltage regulator, new, about $41 from 356 parts suppliers. Connections are labeled on the old and new regulators. Just be sure to hook up to the same labeled terminals which may be located in different
   places on the new regulator. Doesn't look like the black box on most earlier 356's.

3. The 6 volt starter will work electrically in the 12 volt car but it starts with so much force that over time it will chew up the flywheel gear. A 12 volt starter with the correct 6 volt size Bendix gear with the solenoid in the 3:00 o'clock position, IB RD-6R is available from Gene Berg Enterprises for $187. Or swap your 6 volt solenoid for a 12 volt VW solenoid.

4. 12 volt coil, new, about $27 from 356 parts suppliers. Same hook-up.

5. 12 volt wiper motor (hard to find) or rheostat/voltage reducer. Rheostat type about $45 from Rocky Mountain Motorworks or your local VW hot rod shops. The 12 volt to 6 volt offered by Zim's turns my wipers a little faster than when on 6 volts.

6. Voltage reducers for instruments. My preference, even though a bit more expensive, would be the $17 (one for each instrument) for a small reducer that attaches between the wire and the instrument from JC Whitney and requires no wiring changes. A $13 common reducer from Rocky Mountain Motorworks or your local VW hotrod shop will handle 50 watts for $13 but will need more wiring modifications. Mechanical tachs need no conversion, but electric tachs may need to be sent to one of the instruments shops to be converted or may be able to use a reducer. You don't need to replace the oil pressure switch, only the light bulb. My Pre-A instruments are not
   electric so I didn't have to do this step.

7. 12 volt light bulbs for the whole car. They are available from local car supply stores. There are two types of dual element sockets with different pin placements (Euro and USA?). Be sure to get dual element bulbs that have the same pin placement as the ones you remove. Single element bulbs are not a problem. Different model 356's have different lighting configurations. head lights are sealed beam or halogen H4 60/55 watt from local car supply or brighter (illegal) 80/100 watt from VW hot rod shops

   Light:	Sylvania Part Number
   dash light, interior,license plate	6418, 6411
   brake light/back-up	1156,7506
   instrument, warning lights & fog lights	Try VW Shops

   
   Modern bulbs don't fit some bee hives which need smaller bulbs. If you have bee hives check out bulb sizes early on to be sure you can find
   the smaller 12 volt bulbs. These smaller bulbs may be available from the 356 parts suppliers.

8. 12 volt turn signal flasher. About $5 from local car supply stores. Stoddard is about $10 more expensive and is the same part you get locally. Either a 3 pin or a 2 pin can will work. Use a test light to identify the wires. Turn on the ignition and the turn signal to either one side or the other. One wire goes to ground near flasher can, one wire is not hot (goes to lights), one is hot, and the fourth wire alternates hot and off. Don't forget to turn off the ignition. Disregard the ground wire. Hook the off wire to X, the alternating wire to L, and the always hot wire to P. For 2 pin flasher can, tape off the always hot wire, hook the off wire to X and the alternating wire to L.
   I have a Pre A cabriolet with the top usually down and with with turn signals that don't cancel. I had to get a "loud" flasher, which is stocked in most local car supply stores, so I could hear it to remind me to turn off the flasher after turning.

9. 12 volt relays. Available from local car supply stores. I used "Nightblaster"
   model A-715 (30 amps) off-the-shelf at Advance Auto. 356 relays are marked 87,86,85,and 30/51. Modern relays are marked B(87),S(86),M(85),
   and H(30/51). Mark your wires prior to removal and then reconnect. It's very straight forward if you carefully label ahead of time. Modern relays look very
   different for concours type people. They are small and with some work might fit into the old 356 can type relay for a more authenticity look.

10. re-wire horns from parallel to series. To do this, run the ground wire from one horn to the power supply of the other horn, disconnecting its power supply wire and taping it off.

11. 12 volt battery. Optima, $130, from Chatham Motorsports if it will fit. At
    9 15/16"x 6 3/4" x 7 13/16" I couldn't fit it in my Pre A. Chatham says it will fit if you stand it on end. I haven't measured but I don't think so in a Pre A. I bought a 12 volt from the local auto parts store that is the same size as the previous 6 volt.

12. Radio. Many 356 radios were designed to switch from 6 to 12 volts. If not, you will need a step down converter from someplace like JC Whitney for $60-90. The converter can hide under passenger toe board. Be sure the converter has enough capacity to handle the amperage of your radio when turned to high volume.

When you are done the car will be just like it was and most of the conversion will be invisible. The 12 volt regulator looks like a '64-65 era regulator. The wiper and instrument converters under the dash will be visually unoriginal. Modern relays will look unoriginal unless hidden in old relay cans. And the battery will look
unoriginal. Otherwise the conversion is invisible.

The starter will turn so fast your car will start instantly, the lights are brighter, and for my Pre-A instruments, the instrument lights are bright enough to see the dials at night which is a nice, unexpected bonus. And the horn always works when I honk it which it didn't before, even though I had cleaned all the contacts.

If your 6 volt system is very clean and everything works the way it's supposed to work I would think a conversion would be expensive and not worth it. If your electrical system is tired and dirty as was mine, then the conversion is expensive and worth it. My car is an every day driver and my well-tuned 1600 S engine started easily on 6 volts in warm weather, but on cold nights I was never completely sure it was going to start. Now I am.

Tony Ryan
Greenville, SC
#60704