sitting on fence about amp meter

This has nothing to do with sky falling...it's age and environment vs less than ideal execution of wiring principles and components. I'm overjoyed for anyone whose original wiring and gauges haven't failed them yet. But I'm on board with making the small modification of bypassing the ammeter and installing an 8ga wire directly from the charge post of the alternator to the battery post on the starter relay.

My car didn't burn to the ground like that poor guy's Lambo, but it did cook the insulation on the ammeter and bulkhead connectors...damn thing almost left me stranded because of it. Nothing like the sudden acrid odor of burnt 40 year old plastic insulation under the dash while you're a few miles outta town and thinkin' everything is hunky dory.

If you don't drive it much and don't ever turn on high amperage draw components (lights or heater) and pull the connectors apart periodically to grease and inspect them, or it's a show car valued on originality, then sure, leave it alone...if you like to drive your car more than periodically, and sometimes when it's dark, wet, and cold outside...well...hell with it...it's your car.