[Crankster]

There was a fellow making solid state regulators for generators under the name of "Dynamo Systems" or somesuch, but I neglected to buy one, and he seems to have retired or passed on. They had numerous types with authentic looking period covers. They were very well made.

There is solid state 12 volt generator regulator available that is said to work, though I haven't tried it. That is, the common Bosch unit for 1960s Volkswagen Bugs. Of course it won't look period correct. It might prove useful to know on a roadtrip.

It is important to follow proper procedure when servicing regulators/generators, very often well meaning but incorrect information is dispensed authoritatively with respect to the necessity or method of polarizing a generator. Fords use a different method than other makes of grounding the field and using jumper wires or shorting across regulator terminals will permanently damage the regulator.

For all that some people claim they seem to only get 3 to 5 years regular use out of a regulator regardless of brand or manufacturer and they just sort of stop working. It is easy to see why many opt for an alternator. The regulators are touchy and do not lend themselves at all to ham handed attempts at cleaning or adjustment.