alternator problems?

[Rust Bucket]

My 72 240z has an electrical problem.

there is a short that is making my battery drain, the headlights don't work, and the blinkers don't work (unless i hit the hazard light switch, then only the rear ones and just recently i got the right front one to work as well..but im pretty sure it's just a faulty switch).

the biggest problem though is that i think my alternator doesn't work, im not positive, but when i jump the car, it'll run for around 5 minutes, so my theory is that the jump gives it enough juice for that amount of time, but then the car will die, im thinking because the alternator isn't recharging the battery.

my real question is when i was driving the car, when i would open the throttle, it loses power; when i let up the RPMs raise, but then pretty soon the car will die.

am i right in thinking that the alternator is causing this problem?

[SteveJ]

It's hard to tell from subjective evaluations. Break out a meter and take measurements.

What is the battery voltage with the car off?

What is the voltage across the battery terminals at idle?

What is the current flow with the car off?

What is the voltage across the battery terminals at 3000 RPM? (Since you say it dies after revving the motor)