<VV> What *could* be damaged by reversing the battery?

[Tony Underwood]

At 04:33 hours 08/23/2005, LonzoVair at aol.com wrote:
>In a message dated 8/23/2005 5:58:37 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
>tonyu at roava.net writes:
><<You shouldn't need to deal with the HLPT, which isn't inline with
>anything that could cause a huge current drain from a
>backwards-installed battery.  >>
>
>Tony,
>The wire to it is toast... the wire that goes from the + cable to the HLPT
>was a fusable link...


Ahh... this means the dimwit who hooked the battery up backwards also 
managed to switch the ignition ON, thus anything that was polarity 
dependent likely got toasted (like that radio) and this took out the 
fusible link.   I'm not real sure that there's *anything* in the 
stock electrical system that's polarity afflicted outside of the 
alternator and the radio.


>I'll bring a spare alternator anyways... and I think I
>have a spare pertronix laying around (hadn't stuck it in the 64 because the
>points are working just fine, so why mess with it...)... the radio is an
>aftermarket radio... which is a shame...


I'd check the fuse on the radio...  see if it's been replaced with a 
30 amp ;) or the like.   If possible, and if it's not hardwired, 
unplug the radio until you can check it further.


>but the original lighter is still there. It
>looks like someone had this thing apart but either didn't know you could get
>upholstery parts or were to doggone cheap to get them... lots of 
>extra stitching
>in the seats where someone tried to restitch some parts... way more trouble
>than I would consider doing.

A nimrod...?   Same guy who hooked the battery up backwards?



>No problems with the coil, ya think?

Naah.


>VR?

Probably not.


>I just want to get it and get it home... may have some stale gas... and the
>tags expired in May '03...

Wait until dark, sneak it home... ;)   Now, two year old gas might 
run it, might not.    The nimrod likely has no clue what gas 
preservative is.


Keep us posted,


tony..