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Spitfire Runs, but not well

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TR3driver

TR3driver

Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
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IIRC, you said you had a points distributor installed. The original setup used resistor wire, running over to the starter solenoid, for the ballast resistance; plus a "drive resistor" that was only for the electronic ignition.

Are you saying that the resistor wire (pink with white tracer) is smoking? Or do you still have the drive resistor connected somehow? Although it looks rather like a discrete ballast resistor, the drive resistor is a higher resistance and has no use with points. If you are using it to pass power to the coil (or points), it may well be your problem.
 
dklawson

dklawson

Yoda
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That's what it sounds like to me Randall and it's why I asked if the OP had made the wiring changes I had suggested earlier.
 
OP
FlyingCat

FlyingCat

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The problem was with the ballast resistor. It was bad. Such a simple thing to go bad. I am using a ballast resistor in my car because I don't have a drive resistor, and I need a ballast resistor with my coil. I've got twelve volts going in, and nine coming out, just like it says I should.
 
OP
FlyingCat

FlyingCat

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The previous owner probably did all sorts of things that he shouldn't've. Once I found out the compression was good, the distributor was top on my list. Thing was, my car originally didn't come with a distributor, but the PO put one in. I had no idea what brand he put in, so to make a long story short (too late), I replaced it all. And now my car is running a heck of a lot better. I'm going to warm it up today and set the timing, and I think it will be solid. And then that will leave me all sorts of time to figure out why my turn signals don't work. Thanks!
 
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sp53

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You should be fine; spitfires are very small and light and go pretty good. What impressed me about the one I had was the steering radius; that thing would just pull right off the curb at an almost 60 degree angle
 
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