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Spitfire spitfire pertronix installation question
- Thread starter Dan76spit
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TR3driver
Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
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DNK said:Interesting , One thread on going away from use ...another changing to...
That's the great thing about old cars, you can build them the way YOU want.
Some things never change, I guess. I remember reading a cartoon many years ago about a Corvette that was (IIRC) turned into a dragster (replete with blower taller than the car), then into a 4WD something (tires bigger than the car), then restored "right down to the factory defects". Now that's
dklawson
Yoda
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Additional Info.
Dan, please disregard my comments about connections to SW and CB for the particular coil that you have. After Roger pointed out the "Cold Start" text I went Googling for more information.
I only found a couple of references to that type of coil (with three terminals). The first hit was for a Lotus Elan site but their coil appeared a bit different. Then I found some eBay UK links to 3 auctions for Cold Start coils. The eBay auctions reference the coils as being for use on certain late 1960s Vauxhalls. They also pointed out that there were coils specifically for positive and negative earth. Though one auction showed the wiring instructions in the background the picture was too small to allow reading. Regardless, if they made a special coil for each ground type, my earlier advice on SW and CB may not apply here... but only to Lucas coils.
The link below is to a picture of the wiring for the Lotus Cold Start coil. It does not match your wiring exactly. However, based on what it shows and what I gleaned from the 2 eBay auctions, I would leave your coil wiring as it is shown in your first two pictures UNTIL you decide to buy the Pertronix AND a new coil. Based on how obscure your current coil is, I would definitely get a new one if you change to electronic ignition.
Lotus Cold Start Coil Link: https://www.lotuselan.net/uploads/71_02_1.jpg
Dan, please disregard my comments about connections to SW and CB for the particular coil that you have. After Roger pointed out the "Cold Start" text I went Googling for more information.
I only found a couple of references to that type of coil (with three terminals). The first hit was for a Lotus Elan site but their coil appeared a bit different. Then I found some eBay UK links to 3 auctions for Cold Start coils. The eBay auctions reference the coils as being for use on certain late 1960s Vauxhalls. They also pointed out that there were coils specifically for positive and negative earth. Though one auction showed the wiring instructions in the background the picture was too small to allow reading. Regardless, if they made a special coil for each ground type, my earlier advice on SW and CB may not apply here... but only to Lucas coils.
The link below is to a picture of the wiring for the Lotus Cold Start coil. It does not match your wiring exactly. However, based on what it shows and what I gleaned from the 2 eBay auctions, I would leave your coil wiring as it is shown in your first two pictures UNTIL you decide to buy the Pertronix AND a new coil. Based on how obscure your current coil is, I would definitely get a new one if you change to electronic ignition.
Lotus Cold Start Coil Link: https://www.lotuselan.net/uploads/71_02_1.jpg
wow you guys are a wealth of knowledge. i cant express how much i appreciate all the help. i bought this car in 2008 and have never really got it running good. i thought it was because the po bodged up the weber a bit but then i straightened that out and it still ran poorly at times. i have almost zero experience with points, as im a tad bit younger than most lbc owners (no disrespect meant here!), so that is were my wanting to switch to electronic ignition comes from
so what i am going to do is buy the pertronix coil meant for non-ballasted coil, 3 ohms if im correct, run a new wire from my ignition switch to the positive terminal on the coil. than wire in the pertronix with red to positive and black to negative. than not reconnect any of the old wires that are there now, correct? also i am going to remove my condenser and vacuum advance and save everything in the boot so that if i ever need to limp home i got it.
I believe its a us spec car as i had the huge front overriders and the larger us spec rear middle bumper section. i have no clue the history of my car before i got it. i would love to find out.
thanks again guys!
so what i am going to do is buy the pertronix coil meant for non-ballasted coil, 3 ohms if im correct, run a new wire from my ignition switch to the positive terminal on the coil. than wire in the pertronix with red to positive and black to negative. than not reconnect any of the old wires that are there now, correct? also i am going to remove my condenser and vacuum advance and save everything in the boot so that if i ever need to limp home i got it.
I believe its a us spec car as i had the huge front overriders and the larger us spec rear middle bumper section. i have no clue the history of my car before i got it. i would love to find out.
thanks again guys!
Roger
Luke Skywalker
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OK, I'll jump, and say that Dan, that's exactly what I'd do, Ignore / bypass whatever's there and build a new circuit from scratch.
(However, me being an old Brit and not trusting American electrics, I'd get a good Lucas distributor too! It's a funny thing, but over there we had as much trouble with American systems as over here with Lucas. Do not ask me to explain or defend, that'll sidetrack the topic too much!)
(However, me being an old Brit and not trusting American electrics, I'd get a good Lucas distributor too! It's a funny thing, but over there we had as much trouble with American systems as over here with Lucas. Do not ask me to explain or defend, that'll sidetrack the topic too much!)
dklawson
Yoda
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I'll second Roger's comments. The Mallory dizzy was supposed to be a performance upgrade but I know nothing about setting them up. There are lots of Lucas 45D distributors sold as "generics" that would work. I believe the "Flamethrower" distributor sold by Pertronix is a 45D with their ignition module already installed. That is certainly worth a look.
As far as the vacuum advance goes, I would not remove it, just cap the opening to the canister on the dizzy and (if you still had SUs or Strombergs) cap the corresponding port on the carb.
EDIT: I found a link to an eBay auction in the U.K. for a Cold Start coil like Dan's. In the background you can just barely make out the wiring on the instruction sheet.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/C-I-12v-Negati...=item56437d6e1d
(ebay Item 370499481117)
As far as the vacuum advance goes, I would not remove it, just cap the opening to the canister on the dizzy and (if you still had SUs or Strombergs) cap the corresponding port on the carb.
EDIT: I found a link to an eBay auction in the U.K. for a Cold Start coil like Dan's. In the background you can just barely make out the wiring on the instruction sheet.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/C-I-12v-Negati...=item56437d6e1d
(ebay Item 370499481117)