Stock 65 points to HEI swap...easy?

[AlaskaMoParMan]

How hard would it be to switch out my stock old school ignition system for a totally electronic for a poly 318 in a 1965 Coronet 500 Convertible. I would like to get it in this winter while I'm down due to -0 temps.

Thanks

 

[Jonnyuma]

It's not very hard at all. If you're not concerned about stock appearance, i highly recommend switching over to HEI, distributor and all. If you REALLY like having that canister coil bolted to your engine, you can use a stock new or remanufactured distributor from RockAuto or whoever your favorite local parts store is, or you can pony-up the bucks for a Mopar Performance conversion setup which probably comes with some instructions, unlike the replacement parts from the chain-stores.
You can combine the stock, non-HEI dizzy with an HEI module too if you want hotter spark and larger plug gaps, but don't want to have to explain to your Mopar friends how you got a Shivvy distributor to fit and work in an A-block engine.:angry9:
If you go the conventional (Mopar) route you'll need an ECM and possibly a new ballast resistor. I don't know which one you have now so hard to tell.
Not to come off as some kind of hired PR flack for HEI, but if you go that route you dont need the extra hardware. Just one 12V wire will do.

 

[Deleted member 214]

If you are going for quick and easy, I would go for one of the units that fits in your stock distributor and replaced the points - Pertronics makes one, so does Crane and Accel and others, too. Supposedly very easy to install and keeps your stock look.

 

[Meep-Meep]

My vote is Pertronix. Easy install and they seem to work well. Make sure you follow the recommendations regarding coil selection, but if you have a stock replacement coil that should be fine.

 

[Jonnyuma]

Yeah, I kinda overlooked the easiest answer. Duh. Pertronix makes a good product and the install is super-easy. You don't even have to remove the distributor, but on a small block it's a little easier if you do

 

[AlaskaMoParMan]

Thanks for all the help. I have a 440/727 that I want to swap in as soon as I get the motor bored out and parts ordered to stroke it to 512cid. With a crossram with two 4bbls and a max wedge hood scoop I think I can then rest, until...

 

[67 B-body]

I have already taken the electronic guts out of a dist and placed them into the body of an older points dist. It all bolts in the same from one to the other, so it's pretty easy to convert one over. I grabbed the harness plug off of a junk yard car for the ign module, and ran the few wires needed to the ign module. You could run a MSD box with this setup too and omit the Mopar module.... Lots of options out their, you just need to decide, stock looking, whos module you want to run, etc etc. none of it's hard to do though.