Kevin, thanks for that info, I'm not surprised given the current issues about chip supply-I suppose there would be more priority for chips for a new F-150 rather than an aftermarket piece for an 85 year old pickup, although I can't imagine why
I do know that 8N and 9N tractors had 6V positive ground generators of limited output (16-20 amps) and 3 component voltage regs are easily available for those, I wonder if something like that unit could work if you were to change a 3 brush gen to a 2 brush type-but understanding what rotorwrench has said about the setup of the brushes, perhaps it's not feasible anyway.
Looks like a simple cutout for my truck for the future anyway, which probably will be just fine.
Adam