I posted this question a few days back, got no replies and have since figured a few more things out, but I need HELP out here, people, PLEASE! I have a 65 that we dropped a crate motor into and switched to GM's serpentine belt system. It originally had an alternator with an external regulator. This car has the old ammeter gauge in it, too. The new alternator has 3 wires on the connector. Following the advice from this tech section, I connected the fat lead (first from left) to the "BAT" terminal along with the red wire coming from the battery. I connected the middle wire on the connector to the blue wire that is connected to the brown wire at the location of the old regulator. The other wires were taped off. The alternator didn't charge. The ammeter reads on the discharge side of the gauge when any accessory is used. The mechanic who is helping me out on this project said the new alternator is the same as a 90's Camaro type and the field needs to be energized with a ignition switched 12v source. I connected that to the "F" wire (last wire on the connector)and still no charging. I disconnected the blue wire and grounded the middle wire and still no charge. I switched two wires around and still no charge. What is going on here?
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65 Danube Blue MALIBU 4 door wagon, 350/330hp crate with 700R4, Factory air with vintage air conversion, Factory am/fm stereo, tilt wheel.

Jim, you are really close. I have to assume you have a CS type alternator. If so, the connector on the alternator should have the following letters on the connections for the stock connector, P-L-I-S.
You may be mistaking the 'P' terminal for an 'F'. The factory intended connections are:
P = a stator connection for some vehicles which use a tachometer.
L = the resistor connection that MUST be connected to the igniton through an indicator (idiot) light or a 30 to 500 ohm resistor.
I = an alternate terminal some factory applications use for exciting the alternator field windings, sometimes used in parallel with the 'L' terminal.
S = may be used to sense system voltage elsewhere in the system, if the 'S' terminal is not used the alternator uses an internal voltage sense for system voltage.

The factory connector has a small (16-18 gauge) Brown wire at the 'L' terminal. This wire MUST go through the ignition switch to the 'generator/charging/idiot' light. This is the ONLY connection besides the heavy gauge red wire from the BAT terminal to the battery that you need.

I just finished a similar early-90's serpentine set up on my '71 El Camino with a CS series alternator rated at 105 amps. The headlights don't dim AT ALL at idle.

If you get that brown wire hooked up right you shouldn't have any more problems.

Good luck,

Louie Hammel