Just for those who are curious, the original instrument panel "regulators" are what are called vibrators. They have bi-metalic strips in them that expand at different rates when heated as they pass current, and as this diff rate of expansion causes the strips to bend and break the contacts inside the unit, this cools the strips since they are not carrying current, the contacts make again, they heat....and so on....this can be calculated to regulate the voltage by adjusting the gap for the contact points. the older style (69 and earlier 12 volt regulators work on the same principle) you can also get higher voltages than the supply voltage out of vibrators by using a transformer, as the output voltage is really alternating current (used for tube type radios in earlier cars)
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