points or petronix

Question Ive been asking myself lately ...What should I do..........

 

I'm starting my 7th summer with the 1st Pertronix Ignitor in an old points style dizzy. The only problem I ever had was the coil went bad. They're cheap, they work well. My sbc fires on the 1st turn if it's not cold, gets better mpg and has more power with the 40k coil. Nothing but good luck with it.

 

pertronix in the distributor and points in your toolbox in the trunk.

 

why would you carry spare points? a spare mod. cost me $35. points you would also have to carry some kind of reducer to 6 volts and a spare screw for the condenser, and a wire to go to the coil

 

Pertronix in my 55 and in my 59 GMC...both start and run better than ever before.

 

Pertronix in points type distributors on all three of my rides. Oldest kit went in 13 years ago, and the other two are two and four years old. All working great, and never a worry. Tossed the spare points I had in my glovebox of the oldest install many years ago.

 

I put a pertonix in a car I sold. everything I took out I put in a baggy. then I put the baggy in my "trunk bag" full of jumper cables and stuff. free and easy to trouble shoot. never needed them. better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them. got a pair of carharts and a warm jacket behind my seat too. maybe I have OCD about bad things happening to my old cars while driving.

 

Old style Pertronix in my car. The new style is a bit more complex

 

You know those guys who work magic with points? I'm not one of them. Traditional or not, gimme electronic ignition.

I also **** at body work and farm that out.

 

This poll is pointless!

 

i actually have the complete dist with points in the tool box.
rich

 

I've had both, I only run points now. You deside

 

Points in both my cars. Gonna stay that way.

 

Wow, about even between the 2 camps so what to do?
For the MPG, power, go Pertronix. Go points for tradition.

 

Had pertronix, mod went bad, replacement lasted one day............went back to points. Probably my fault, who knows?

I know how to maintain points, there is nothing you can do with the pertronics, except see how far you can throw it.

 

Have a Pertronix module in every single one of my cars (but the OT/DD, which is EFI) and in one of my bikes. I have installed over 100.

Zero failures. 100% satisfaction.

If you want the MPG, spark energy, and wear characteristics of the past, go for it. You know what to do.

 

NO BRAINER!! (points ****)

 

So why don't all you guys who have switched from pertronix back to points help the OP out and tell why you went back to points????

 

My Flathead 32 sedan still has a duel point distributor and it works just fine.

My 32 pickup has a Petronix as does the 54 wagon.

No problems with any of them. HRP

 

second that or the glove box!

 

i have pertronx in my 65 caddy and my 58 ford for about 10 years now had to replace one and that why i keep a spare in glove i have a unite dizzy in my 50 chevy for about 15 yrs never had a problem but keep a spare in glove box for that one too would never go back to pionts

 

Petronix in my Champ pickup with R1 Stude engine. Works great, runs great. Much better than when it had points.

 

I second the motion..just don't leave your key on without the engine running!!

 

I've run points all my life. Switched to an MSD Ready to Run electronic distributor and a set of MSD wires over the winter. It made a remarkable difference in the way my SBC fires up and runs. Very smooth and way more responsive. I used to keep extra points in the trunk, now I'll replace that with an extra module. As of right now I'll never go back. So you know my vote!

 

Do you carry spare points and condenor for your points ditributor cars?

 

i like points, you can fix em out in the boondocks, try that with a module lol

 

Pertronix, just be sure to get the matching coil. Ran a set in my daily driver for three years, never a glitch or hiccup. Just put it in and forgot about it.

And unless someone is going to yank of your distributor cap "tradition" doesn't matter when it comes to points. I've had plenty of sets of points go bad and leave me on the side of the road - they're not bulletproof either.

 

I have been running Pertronix in my fuel injected SBC for about twenty years.....zero problems, starts pretty much instantly....alway had difficult time finding good Delco or other good points.......put Pertronix II in my son's SBC about 10 years ago....zero problems also......

 

When I bought the Corvair Wagon for my wife, it had a pertronix unit in it.
After several months, I started getting an intermittent, non-repeatable, couldn't-duplicate electrical problem. It wouldn't fire up. Sometimes it was in the morning when the car was cold. Sometimes it was when the car was warm on re-start. Even died on a country road. Just died.

Totally random.

After replacing everything and having it still happen, the only thing left was the Pertronix unit. It's now in the woods behind my shop, while a properly set-up points distributor is in the car. Been running it for two years, and no problems.

I guess I really don't see what the big deal is in setting up points.
Either they fire, or they don't. I don't notice the car's cold-starting changing one way or another.

I wonder if points distributors get a bad rap because the distributors are old and worn out to begin with, and then people don't know how to set up points.

The distributor that WAS in the car, with the Pertronix on it, was worn the hell out when I put it on my Sun distributor tester. A freshly rebuilt distributor brought it right into spec.

I think for a lot of us, that's probably the bigger issue--worn original distributors, and the Pertronix is a bandaid.

-Brad

 

Points. even a ****py set will still get you home.