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Spitfire Engine Wiring

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I agree with Randall. Tape up and isolate the green wire for now. It doesn't look "factory" and could introduce problems depending on what a previous owner used it for.

When I look at your second picture the meter reading looks like 71.4 Ohms, not 1.4. Am I seeing that right? In that picture the red meter lead doesn't appear to be touching anything.

As Randall said, go back and measure the coil operating voltage. I'll add one suggestion though. Remove the distributor cap and place a penny between the points. Then turn the key to the run position and measure between coil (+) and battery (-). If you measure 12V, there is no resistor in the circuit. If you measure 6 to 9V, the car has already got a resistance wire or ballast resistor. The penny between the points will make the circuit complete so your voltage reading will be accurate. Don't forget to remove the penny when you are done.

Let us know what you measure.
 
Good stuff! Mostly, right now I'm just wanting to make sure everything that is necessary to start the car is in place, and I won't do any damage if something is missing. So, for now I'm good, but I imagine I'll have all sorts of questions once I get the cooling system and the carburator (along with the battery) in place. Once again, thanks!
 
If the previous owner told you that the engine ran with the existing distributor and its wiring... you should be OK to try and start the engine now. (However, see the closing paragraph below).

That said, check for spark. Remove the spark plug for cylinder #1 (water pump end of engine). Put the removed plug in its plug wire and rest the body of the plug on a bare metal spot (intake manifold). Have a friend crank the engine over on the starter while you look for a spark at the plug. Let us know if whether or not you have a spark.

Then there is checking the static timing. Again, if you trust the previous owner and they said that the engine ran for them, you should be OK to try starting the engine. However, you may want to check or set the static timing if in doubt.

Tony Barnhill is a former member of this board who died a few years ago. Tony had a "start up" sheet for waking an old car. While the article is written about MGs, most if not all of the steps apply to any car. Take a read over his list using the link below.

https://www.ahexp.com/article/awakening-sleeping-mg.html
 
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