Originally Posted by AlG
Alternator doesn't supply power to the car, just keeps the battery charged. I had a battery with a bad cell on one of my other cars and it ran down and the alternator could not keep up. Died right there in the middle of a crowded road on July 4th. Cars before 1962 had generators and those were able to keep them running but there were probably two or three times the weight and not as efficient as alternators are.
Huh? If the alternator couldn't power the car, the battery would die on a long trip.
I have definitely driven post 1962 cars with an alternator, and no battery at all. I did it for months in a 70's Maverick with a stick. No battery in the car at all. I'd push start it and go. Whenever possible, I'd park on a hill to make my life easier.
