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One word of caution regarding Pertronix kits with Prestolite dual point distributors. The module doesn't fit properly and needs to be modified to fit the breaker plate. If and when you get it to bolt up, the distributor will likely now be out of phase. It may run, but you can have some engine performance problems. I brought this up with Pertronix some year(s?) ago and spoke at length with a "tech" guy there at which point he proclaimed that the kits should really be pulled off the market and re-designed. I even offered to send them a virgin distributor to get it sorted out, but never followed up on it. In addition, they sell the kit with a really crappy grommet that doesn't fit the distributor housing properly and constantly falls out. I haven't used them since that experience.

I am one of those people that thinks that a properly working breaker points system is completely FINE, especially for the way these cars get used(sparingly). The way you hear people talk about point failures, you would think that in the 60's and 70's that cars were strewn all over the highways with burnt out points. Pure folklore and just not the case. Remember that all the points do is open and close to collapse the field in the coil. There was more to worry about "silent" timing chain sets with the nylon teeth than any points related failures on these cars. Heck, I raced a car for years with a points distributor and never had a failure-ever. On the other hand, I have had MSD boxes take a crap- on several occasions....

Your results may vary....

MB

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I maintained 8 or so international trucks in the early 80s that all have points and gas engines. What PIA that was, they had those gull wing hoods where you had to lay across the fender to get to the dist in the back of the engine to adjust points/dwell. No matter how well you lubed the rubbing block it would wear after 8-10 hours use per day. So dwell would change a little each day, when the truck didn't have any low end power I would have to adjust points. I did it hundreds of times, it sucked. When those converisions came out, I used one on every truck. It was way better than points, made way more spark for sure.

So I don't see how you can say points are just as good?

Just like what said above, don't leave the key on...without the engine running.

The key got left on, on our old fork/lift truck last year and it fried the pertronics in the dist. So I start calling around for another one and hardly anyone who I talked to at the parts stores knew what I was asking for. I wound up buying it from Summit, they carry the full line.

Pertronics list O'reilly auto parts as there distrubuters and the O'reillys I called didn't even know what I was talking about, what a moron that guy was. Because he didn't even offer to call me back even after I indentified myself as a local business just down the street from one of there new stores in our area.