So a buddy of mine who is an avid Ford guy stops by the shop today and says he was cleaning out his shop and found something for me. Goes out to his truck and brings in an old Mallory box. Inside it is a Mallory model ZC type 292B distributor and Magspark transformer/coil along with the old wires and a set of plugs. Written on the box it says "1953-1958 Buick" and since he knows I have a 57 364 just waitin its turn to go into a ride, I should have it. There is a part # on the box also but I don't have it in front of me right now. The box alone is way cool and in really good shape and while the dizzy has been used its only a little cleanup away from perfect. So now the questions: 1) I have no idea if this thing is worth trying to use let alone know how to hook it all up and 2) I want to give him something for this stuff but have no idea what would be fair. Anyone fool around with these old dual points and can help me out? If its not worth using I will still keep it and display it at my shop but would really like to hear that they work as well as the look cool! Thanks, Chuck
They work well, just high maintenance setting the dwell more often than most are used to doing these days. Have you checked points availability? Some Mallory parts are NLA. jack vines
If the distributor is the type that has a four lobe cam(sometimes called "Double Life") it is very important that it be adjusted/timed correctly. If that isn't done you are worse off than having a single point dietributor.
Not that hard to convert to electronic ignition or have it converted by professionals like Bubba. A period looking distributor that performs like a modern electronic ignition. If you do the number of lobes on the cam doesn't matter because you replace it. I love mine. It doesn't look too high tech to me. If you don't want it don't throw it away.
A case of my favorite beer or a good steak dinner has always went a long way with me as far as repayment of a favor or just to say thanks. jmo.
hey tommy, what wires are you running in that dizzy and how do they run in the cap?? I have one for my 283 that is in NOS shape if not NOS. I know they use 7mm wire on the caps and I was planning to run a MSD box so that the points are nothing more than a trigger for the box. the box requires suppression wires (as would an electronic conversion) So I can't run the same packard 440 wire I have on my flatty.
Chuck I am not your friend, well that sounds bad I don't know you well enough to not like you, I am not the fella that gifted you the mallory. So what I am going to say may have no bearing on what you should actually do, but what I think you should do it give him something in return and forget about cash all together. That is what I would do. As for hookup it is no different than hooking up any points ignition. Yes unless the bushings are shot you should run it, they are relaiable ignitions.
Packard 440 is there anything else? I made my own plug wires in case somebody remembered them and went to a lot of trouble to make them conspicuous. the first one we converted was for my old flathead and I used the red clear plastic plug wires that everyone says is a no-no. this was done in 1997 and I believe it is still plugging along. No one told me back then that it would not work. It has worked fine for me. I use the replacement modules for a Chrysler and they are not high performance modules. Just replacement modules for street drivers. I don't need HP modules and boxes and 8MM plug wires. I don't race my cars. Give me the old shit. All this being said I'd use what the module manufacturer recommends to protect my warranty. (I hate those damn MSD red boxes) my friends buy them and then hide them.
I really don't think he would accept any cash for it anyway, I just want to make sure I take care of him for thinking of me and don't want to slight him on the deal. If it takes 2 steak dinners and a case of suds or 2 I would be fine with that too! I like the idea of converting it to electronic and using it. Sure looks better than the stocker with the Pertronix in it that I'm running now.
Sometimes it is best to not do cash with friends. I have a friend that I swap parts with all the time. It is never I'll give you this for that deal, he will just happen by with something or vice versa. I gave him a truck a few years back. He brought me a built fresh big block chevy once for a project I was working on. No one ever asks what do I owe ya, it would make life miserable for the both of us.
if you wanted to stick with old shit you'd have points in that one! I used to run the msd boxes in race cars so I have a couple lying around. I have the 4 lobe double life that people say doesn't have the dwell that a modern dual point has so I like to have the multiple sparks at low rpm. I guess I will have to see if it works out with a "plain" black suppression wire. if it doesn't. I'll just run points and a coil without the box!
Well I tried to offer to pay whatever he felt it was worth, offered up a nice steak dinner or a dinner of his choosing for he and the wife and when all was said and done he insisted that i take it for what he gave for it---nothing. It had been given to him and he insisted that if I would use it, it was mine for free. Now for the next question. I like the idea of converting it to electronic pickup and am wondering what the easiest way to accomplish this might be? It does have an 8 lobe cam in it. Could a Pertronix kit be adapted to it or would another way be better? Also this dizzy has no vac advance. Will this be an issue on a light weight, street driven ride. Fuel economy isn't an issue so I'm hoping no vac won't be either. Any help and guidance will be greatly appreciated.
they are cool looking and do work ok but on the road I saw no benefit over the GM's (Delco) factory units
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