best distributor for the buck

Hotter spark means more complete fuel burn = a harder push on the piston for whatever thats worth to you. Its that simple. The HEI has a hotter spark than the mopar electronic, since it doesnt have a 6v ballast resistor to contend with. Its a proven fact. Hell i wish mopar had come up with it. Additional benefits are better cold starting, better fuel mileage, crisper throttle response, and better idle quality.

Will the HEI gain 20 hp. I doubt it as well, however what you do get is hotter spark for more complete fuel burn = more power. You cant argue that. Its simple engine basics. Plus everything else i just mentioned.

You can have tunnel vision and say the mopar brain box hobbled by a 6V ballast resistor (a leftover from points) and weak spark is still the best. And it was pretty good in its time 40 years ago, hell i ran a mopar electronic with an orange box in a 69 440 charger i had in the early 90s. But had i known about the HEI module triggering a mopar dizzy back then and the benefits of doing it, i would have done that modification.

Does the mopar electronic run good? Sure it does. But theres better out there. Lots of folks like MSD setups. They are great. However for a guy on a budget the HEI cant be beat, plus you can use a stock mopar electronic dist as a trigger with it. The best of both, and all stock parts, easily gotten at rock auto or your auto parts store.

I used mopar boxes back then, but i see where the HEI is light years ahead in its design even if it is from the same era. i am a firm believer of using the 4 pin HEI module.

Can the GM module burn out? Sure it can. I recommend either the Napa echlin, or genuine GM modules, and they need to be mounted to a good heat sink and have the white heat transfer grease put between them and the heatsink to extend their life. I will say this, a GM 4 pin spare takes a lot less space in your glovebox than a mopar module, and ballast. Plus it eliminates the ballast resistor altogether. A common failure point of mopar ignition systems.

I would go so far as to say, why not temporary wire up a 4 pin GM HEI module and E coil to your car, and compare both the HEI and mopar system. Dont forget to wire up the HEI without a ballast it doesnt need one. And run your car both ways. See how it goes. I dont think you will be disappointed. Think of it as a seat of the pants experiment. GM 4 pin modules can be had from napa for about $20

Matt