For a ballast resistor to get blister your fingers hot is common. Was it smoke or steaming moisture, and did you ever check the pick up coil in the distributor. If you're happily throwing parts at it why stop to ask for help ?
Definitely burning smoke......that coil was HOT and smokin'.......
Pick-up coil I'm checking in the morning........
......and I stop to ask for help because it "helps"........and a LOT of other guys will search the subject, and find the help that I get in the thread, AND find what the problem actually turned out to be........
The more info on a given subject the better, I think. That's why I always hit up the guys.