Let’s get back to the facts for just a second, one more time. Why keep the ammeter? The role or purpose of ammeters in general is not outdated, even today any serious monitoring of battery-based DC circuits involves ammeters in some form or another. Knowing battery charging/discharging rates in real time can be mission critical for some modern applications. Most modern ammeters now are externally shunted, inductive, or otherwise computer monitored (EV’s), allowing for remote monitoring of higher current flow without the need for, or cost of, larger conductors running to and from the ammeter gauge. Nothing wrong with the original ammeter design when in good condition and operated within the parameters it was designed for. Nothing about these cars was ever designed to survive 50-60 years of use, abuse, or neglect. The reliability of automotive batteries has advanced well beyond battery technology from when these systems were designed making the need to closely monitor battery/discharge rates less important but not altogether irrelevant. Yes, the factory bean counters cheaped out on some related terminations that proved to be the cause some issues under certain conditions, mostly conditions outside of what would be considered normal operating conditions, i.e. misplaced loading at the battery with this system.
IMHO, On my builds, I run mostly all-original wiring, in good condition (no-junk yard harness that have been exposed to the elements for decades), where I can, all harnesses unwrapped and each conductor/termination carefully inspected, cleaned, repairs/corrections made, termination weak spots bypassed(or replaced with terminations that can handle the expected current flow) and modifications/circuit additions added as needed, re-wrapped for a factory appearance, most all retaining their original ammeter safely and fully functional. For some sub-harnesses, not easily sourced original, I’ll buy reproductions or build from scratch. Same here, never had an issue in all my years of wrenching on and driving these cars, professionally or otherwise. Paying close attention to circuit protection for all circuits, stock and modified.
Will say it again, in my professional time at the dealers back in the day, every car I saw or touched had an ammeter in the dash at that time, never saw one electrical issue where the passenger car ammeter or its untouched original terminations was found, or determined to be, the root cause of anything, Things changed a little when the later plastic cluster framed tin-grilled trucks came along.
