Calculating alternator requirements

I try not to disagree with Del on electrical matters, because I'm not anywhere near his level of knowledge. But, my experience with alternator output and the stock systems has been a little different...

I run 100 amp alternators on both my Challenger and my Duster. My challenger has ~60k miles on it with that alternator, and it's harness is completely stock. Now, it doesn't have a ton of electrical draw either, it still runs a mechanical fan, but the wiring configuration is stock otherwise. My Duster has been modified a bit to relocate the battery, with help from Del to make sure I didn't burn my car down (and I probably would have left to my own). But it still retains the amp gauge and it still sends its power through the bulkhead connector. It has a ford contour dual electric fan set up as well, which draw a bunch at start up, ~40 amps depending on who you ask, with around 20 amps running. The fans pull through a continuous duty relay, but that's still hooked into the stock system. The electric fans on that car outperform any mechanical fan I've run, they're a great addition if you take the time to set them up properly. But it does require some some work to set them up properly.

The later A-bodies came with 60amp alternators right from the factory. I still plan on doing the MAD bypass on all of my cars, I'm not saying its a bad idea at all or that the bulkhead connectors aren't problematic, they absolutely are. The Challenger is apart now and with the dash out I'll do the conversion before it goes back together. I've already done the gauge conversion on a spare amp gauge I had for the Duster, I just have to pull the dash again. There's a few things I'm going to do when I do that, so it's on the list.

But if you check the bulkhead connection, clean up the terminals, and make sure that everything has a good, clean, tight connection I don't think they're a time bomb. I'm pushing my luck, no doubt, with the 100 amp alternators. But I've been monitoring the connections since I installed those alternators, and I haven't noticed anything burnt, melted, or damaged. If I'd ever come across anything I'd have done the bypass immediately. I'm not saying every car can run a 100 amp alternator without problems, just that I have.