Reply to "Correct High Amp Alt & Regulator. ??..."

Hi amp alts for older Fords are normally rated at 100 amps or 140 amps. Your oem alt was rated 65 amps I believe. So the 100 amp replacement alt has 50% more capacity than the oem alt. As Dave has written, his 90 amp alt provides plenty of current for dual fans, headlights & a/c running all at the same time.

Most Pantera vendors offer a 100 amp alternator. Ford alternators are 3 wire versions, GM alternators are available as 1 wire versions. There is a definite disadvantage to the way 1 wire alternators sense voltage for voltage regulation, so 3 wire alternators are normally recommended. The 1 wire alts are preferred by the hot rod guys, they are cosmetically advantageous for show cars, trailer queens, etc, because there is less wiring cluttering up the engine bay. This is a moot point in a Pantera, even a Pantera show car, because nobody can see the front of the motor anyway.

The case of your older oem alternator is known as the 1G case. The 1G case is available in two sizes, a small case and a large case. Your oem Mustang alternator is a small case alternator. It was originally available in amp ratings of 35 to 65 amps. Kits are available to increase the rating of this alternator to 80 amps. Later versions of the 1G small case alternator with integral voltage regulators were available with higher amp ratings, such as Dave's Aerostar alt with a 90 amp rating. I suspect the reason why the Pantera vendors only offer a 100 amp alt, the 140 amp alt is most likely a large case alternator.

Ford alternator mounting 30 years ago was straight forward, the alternator had a low "pivot" mount (designed for a through bolt) and an upper "ear" tab (with a threaded boss). The clocking of that tab varied from model to model too, but it was easy to rotate the front casting of the alternator in relation to the rear casting and change the clocking as needed.

Modern Ford alternators are designed for fixed mounting, the cases are much different than those of the older alternators. The cases are available in two series, the 3G case and the 6G case. The 3G & 6G alternators are also available in two case sizes (i.e. small & large). A 3G or 6G large case alternator can be rated up to 200 amps, but they won't work in your Pantera. Your choices are confined to the alternators with the old 1G style case.

You also questioned which style of voltage regualtor to use, I don't think you'll have the option of specifying where the voltage regualtor is mounted (remote on the firewall or integral to the alt), all the high current alts have integral voltage regualtors. If you end up purchasing an alternator designed for a remote mounted voltage regulator (80 amp rating), just make sure you install a modern solid state voltage regulator on your firewall, that's what's most important.

cowboy from hell