Electronic Ignition - use a new VR?

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roadrunnerh

roadrunnerh

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So I plan on upgrading my '68 Road Runner's ignition to electronic. I've owned this car since early 90's and always just used the stock points ignition. No interest in the latest, greatest HEI. I even purchased a mounting bracket to mount the ECU behind the air cleaner on the rear rail on back of intake manifold. So, I want this to look stealth.
I've added electronic ignition before - on the '72 Swinger I had years ago. I never upgraded the voltage regulator. Now it seems as if I need to (at least I have read) since my RR is pre-1970. 50% of Mopar guys seem to say the "race only" unit is ok for street. I'd like a vol. reg. to look like my current stock one. I heard that it's possible to get a VR with ungraded internals and use it without changing the connections on my stock harness. HELP!
 
I've run electronic ignition on old 67 - 69 style stock voltage regulators for YEARS and not had a problem.... I had a car go to 500, 000 miles with that set up...
 
Come to think of it, I added the Mopar EI kit to a 4 door 318 '68 Satellite I was driving for a couple years as a daily driver. I never changed the voltage regulator in that car either.
 
If you still have the "original look" 69/ earlier regulator, look underneath. If there is NOT two large resistors under there, it is in fact ALREADY electronic guts. So far as I know, all replacement 69/ earlier regulators are now electronic guts, unless you have an old one, or found a "NOS" somewhere

This is original, electro--mechanical

440-1621-thickbox.jpg



Below is electronic guts

mT8cQABakFVDBoKz34krUNw.jpg


I would gladly run a blue "race" regulator....simply make sure the paint is scraped off the bolt holes and that it's properly grounded. This actually applies to ANY regulator

The "race look alike" NAPA / Blue Streak regulators seem to be discontinued, and I'd bet money the "race" (blue) regulators are the very same thing

(NAPA / Echlin VR-2001 or a Standard (Blue Streak) VR-128)

echvr1001.jpg
 
I mounted my ECU in the passenger compartment as high up on the firewall as I could and ran the wires through a grommet right behind the wiring harness behind the distributor. You would never know I had it, unless you counted an extra wire going to the distributor.
 
The only issue I see is that it cannot be used with alternators that are 65 amp or more. Has anyone found one of these older style look that is rated above the 65 amp. A lot of guys are using 75 or 100 amp alternators.
 
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