1951 Buick Special-Lightening issues-NEWBEE
Good day. I just got delivery of my 1951 Buick Special last week. The vehicle is in great shape, however I have some issues with my lighting. When I first got the vehicle off the transport, I noticed the starter would barely turn over, however she fired right up. I drove her around for about 20 minutes and noticed the volt meter jumping from charge to normal and back. That night I noticed that even with the vehicle running the rear running lights turn signals and brake lights were dim to none, and the headlights were also dim. I hooked up a battery charger and left her for almost twenty four hours and it was still pulling 3 amps from the charger. The battery is a very large six volt that appears to be relatively new. The starter spun up a little faster, and the turn signal indicator on the dash blinked a little faster, but the rear lights did not seem to be much better. I drove her around for about twenty minutes, and the volt meter acted the same. When I got back and hooked the charger back up it was pulling 5 amps.
Several Questions- 1. How long should it take to get a full charge on a large six volt battery 6v-6amp charger? It will be almost 48 hours when I get home this evening.
2. Should the lights be this dependent on the battery being fully charged when the vehicle is being driven?
3. Could I be getting an intermittent charge as indicated on the volt meter, and what might explain this?
I know these are probably stupid questions, but please consider that I am a complete novice, embarking on a new learning experience and eager to soak it up.
(trouble uploading photos)