Distributor-stay with points or go electronic?

[Project66]

I went from electronic to MSD 6AL because that's the easiest way I could find to add a rev limiter. My 360 pulls hard through 5800 RPMs, so I like to buzz the motor whenever no one is looking. When that happens, I need to have my eyes on the road, not the tach.

 

[autoxcuda]

Pertronix II. Factory Ballast. 2K miles since. No issues

Just took a few screws.

 

[Project66]

Pertronix II. Factory Ballast. 2K miles since. No issues

Just took a few screws.

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I'm planning to install the Ignitor III in my Corvette when I get it running. I think it's a pretty similar set-up.

 

[Unkle Krusty]

Points...

The only caveat is the quality of todays condensers. That can be overcome by using guitar amplifier capacitors( condensers by another name).
They can be very high quality andbcheap as dirt.

Once upon a time, our new 1957 Hillman quit the first time it ran down the motorway. Was the condenser that quit.
On my 53 Bentley there was a spare condenser on the side of the ignition. Henry Royce was an electrical engineer, so his thoughts on condensers was obvious.
While I am on original equipment, my 37 Ford with 37,000 miles on it, lost every tooth on the camshaft, miles from home. Had fibre gears.

 

[Krooser]

Once upon a time, our new 1957 Hillman quit the first time it ran down the motorway. Was the condenser that quit.
On my 53 Bentley there was a spare condenser on the side of the ignition. Henry Royce was an electrical engineer, so his thoughts on condensers was obvious.
While I am on original equipment, my 37 Ford with 37,000 miles on it, lost every tooth on the camshaft, miles from home. Had fibre gears.

Stuff happens... my thoughts are why spend hundreds on "new technology" when most of these new fangled bits are built to a lower standard than the OE partsvthey replace.

The reliability of Pertronix, MSD and other look-a-like systems is poor. They rely on a reputation gained from back when these products were built in the good 'ol USA not by our buddies in China.

I have used Pertronix in my Triumph cars and old Fords. MSD stuff in dirt track cars. Had failures with both systems. I've seen Streetmaster brand dizzys be DOA right out of the box.

I have a hunch reliability is OK when you have a that stuff in a trailer queen or a 1,000 mile per year Dairy Queen cruiser.

My crappy old rust bucket should run just fine on the 40 year old points and condenser that came in my $100 318...that's why God made point files!

Like a condom... always carry a spare.

(BTW... I wasn't always a crabby old b@stard like I am today. I used to buy all the latest and greatest stuff)

 

[cosgig]

I’ve been getting a lot of ignition stuff from Hops, including an electronic distributor for my daughters car, that currently runs on points. I asked Ray what he thought about changing to electronic, and he said “if it were me, I would stay with the points”. He sent me all the points stuff I needed and up till today, that’s what I’ve been running. I’ll still switch over when time permits, but I find nothing wrong with the points setup.

 

[493 Mike]

I did lots of tuneups 40-50 years ago. It was a good income task that was needed every 12,000 or so miles, as was repacking wheel bearings. I worked next to silver-tongued mechanic that had his customers coming in fairly often for u-joint repacks!
Mike