Alternator choice?

[Rory McNeil]

Like Paul, I have found the factory equipment alternator more than adequate. On my 85 Mustang Stocker, as well as my 78 Fairmont bracket car, I used the factory alternator and external voltage regulator, Ford offered them in several different output ratings, I think the alternator that has been in my Fairmont for almost 40 years, is less than 50 amps. That said, I am also using a full sized conventional battery, with 500-600 CCA. My cars have much of the typical drag car stuff, like an electric water pump, electric fan, electric fuel pump (s), and a MSD ignition, although I run 6 series boxes, I believe the 7 series boxes take a fair bit more current to operate. Over the years, I have found that as long as I had the battery fully charged before the race weekend, with the full size battery and alternator, I can usually go thru a 2 or 3 day race weekend without having to fire up the generator and charging the battery between rounds. About the only time that I charge the battery, is if I am in a "hot lap" situation during later rounds, especially on a hot day, so that I have to run the fan and water pump a lot. Obviously, if your alternator is non functional, that wouldn`t work.