Just for looks - electronic distributor in original hemi car

[doberjoe]

I have a crate hemi in my 68 hemi GTX. Of course it has an electronic distributor. I need to buy an engine wiring harness to get this bugger fired up, although I'd like to maintain the original look of voltage regulator, ballast resistor, etc. from the original without resorting to the dual points distributor. Crate motor will have original carbs, black wrinkle valve covers, etc.

Do I just bite the bullet, get the "engine harness modified for electronic ignition" from M&H/Year One, stab on the electronic control module, 4 wire ballast resistor, new voltage regulator and live with the completely obvious "not original" look?

Or, are there some hacks I can use the original regulator, 2 wire ballast resistor, and control box (I can hide the box if I wanted I s'pose) to make it look more-or-less original, say using the standard engine harness? Are there other hacks that might work?

thanks!

 

[PRND21]

I've got the modified harness on my 65 Belvedere. I ran the module harness through a hole (somewhat inconspicuously) by the master cylinder and mounted it under the dash. I still have the newer style voltage regulator on the firewall, but I don't think it's all that noticeable.

 

[MOPOWER871]

IMO do the conversion. I understand you want to retain the stock look, that's cool but you want the benefits of electronic ignition. hassle free performance near zero maintenance, accurate timing...
no ones gonna be looking to see if there's a green wire out of place. there eyes are going to be glued the that Hemi. Do the harness conversion. And if some ball sniffin, **** douche nozzle feels the need to says something, pat him on the head give him a cookie and tell him to piss off.
yah, I know someones gonna chime in "I've been running point bla, bla ,bla yada, yada, yada, and it runs fine" who cares its your pride and joy. do what you want. Life's to short to care what people have to say. I know the new solid state voltage regulator (thin one )fits under the cover of the old mechanical regulator (black one). lets see some pics of your beast. Good luck MOPOWER TO YA !!

 

[Darter6]

We put the base Petronix Ignitor 1 kit in the stock single point distributor in the 65.Other than 2 wires coming out of the distributor everything else is 1965.the Ignitor 2 or 3 require by pass of ballast. Hits 6 grand shifts no problem.Ran one in a drag car for years.Just a thought..

 

[doberjoe]

I've got the modified harness on my 65 Belvedere. I ran the module harness through a hole (somewhat inconspicuously) by the master cylinder and mounted it under the dash. I still have the newer style voltage regulator on the firewall, but I don't think it's all that noticeable.

thanks for the reply. I was thinking that, I think I've decided to go with the newer non-stock configuration to get it on the road, and then later maybe get the points style harness if I happen to ever want to do it.

 

[doberjoe]

IMO do the conversion. I understand you want to retain the stock look, that's cool but you want the benefits of electronic ignition. hassle free performance near zero maintenance, accurate timing...
no ones gonna be looking to see if there's a green wire out of place. there eyes are going to be glued the that Hemi. Do the harness conversion. And if some ball sniffin, **** douche nozzle feels the need to says something, pat him on the head give him a cookie and tell him to piss off.
yah, I know someones gonna chime in "I've been running point bla, bla ,bla yada, yada, yada, and it runs fine" who cares its your pride and joy. do what you want. Life's to short to care what people have to say. I know the new solid state voltage regulator (thin one )fits under the cover of the old mechanical regulator (black one). lets see some pics of your beast. Good luck MOPOWER TO YA !!

I think I'm convinced. The whole part about reliability is important to me, that together with getting it on the road. I talked to M&H today, I learned a lot about two-field alternators, voltage regulators, etc, it was very informative (although it does sound possible to modify my dual points distributor for electronic function). I'm not trying to impress anyone but myself, and who really cares anyway....great point, and as Captain Kirk said in one of the Star Trek movies "very colorful metaphors"....so I'll hang onto my original distributor, voltage regulator, ballast resistor, etc. in case i ever wanted to go that route, but for now, it's going to be reliability and plug-and-play.

AND, I'll go into my archives and start a photo thread of the work-in-progress. I'm on the east coast and the car is on the west coast, so the project goes by fits and starts however, a little bit at a time.

 

[doberjoe]

We put the base Petronix Ignitor 1 kit in the stock single point distributor in the 65.Other than 2 wires coming out of the distributor everything else is 1965.the Ignitor 2 or 3 require by pass of ballast. Hits 6 grand shifts no problem.Ran one in a drag car for years.Just a thought..

View attachment 394509 View attachment 394510

dang, that's a tight fit!

 

[Darter6]

Yeah, but it sure was worth it when it was all said and done.(sorry,crappy cell phone pictures)

 

[65hemi]

I used a stock standard (not modified for EI) wiring harness and put an MSD box under my dash. I upgraded my VR with an electronic unit. I have the ballast resistor but added a bypass wire on the back.
I also have a tach drive distributor and mechanical tach that will be going in shortly.

 

[doberjoe]

I used a stock standard (not modified for EI) wiring harness and put an MSD box under my dash. I upgraded my VR with an electronic unit. I have the ballast resistor but added a bypass wire on the back.
I also have a tach drive distributor and mechanical tach that will be going in shortly.
View attachment 394857

that's sooper clean looking install, nice work.

 

[doberjoe]

Yeah, but it sure was worth it when it was all said and done.(sorry,crappy cell phone pictures)

View attachment 394740 View attachment 394741

LIKE!

 

[Cranky]

I used the MTD distributor in my car with the ECM unit and hid it pretty well. No one ever noticed but nor did anyone notice the car was a roadrunner with the GTX badges being it was a coupe....

 

[doberjoe]

I used the MTD distributor in my car with the ECM unit and hid it pretty well. No one ever noticed but nor did anyone notice the car was a roadrunner with the GTX badges being it was a coupe....

RM23 vs. RM21 -- who's to know? ;-)