On Tuesday, May 2, 2017 at 2:54:16 PM UTC-4, Jon Elson wrote:
Jim Wilkins wrote:


The engineers tried out my new tester on a fuel injection computer and
blew it up when the protection Zener overheated and failed after a few
load dump cycles. I think that's why they went to side terminal
batteries.
The Chevy Vega had side terminals in 1976. There was DARN little
electronics in that car. There was a module to shut off the air cond when
the alternator was not producing, a timer on the rear window defroster,
probably a VERY simple electronic ignition (I don't remember points on that
one) and the radio. I don't think it even had intermittent wipers. That
was it, and it was all analog stuff.

Jon

Well, having the battery in the trunk seemed to solve a lot of problems in my 1958 Alfa Romeo. g It was nice and clean back there, and cool. However, the cable that ran forward used a lot of copper.

As for electronics, I did have to replace a couple of vacuum tubes in the Blaupunkt radio...

There is a lot of virtue in simplicity.

--
Ed Huntress