Challenging challenger

Hi Fabo.
I am helping a friend. He bought a challenger. 1971 I believe. Engine is a 5.9l more modern trandplant .

Coil was "performance" and crapped out. I replaced with a mopar coil and made it run. Car has single wire ballast resister and mopar electronic ignition control.

I am confused by the fact it has another ignition box of some kind crudely wired to the coil (I think, wires are all in looms)

There is nothing at all hooked up to the vacuum advance on the distributor

Could the other ignition box be controlling advance?

also the brake booster connected to vacuum through some canister. (not the emission control canister.....something different.

I felt suction on my thumb there, but I thought the manifold was the correct vacuum source??

(owner complains of hard braking, like no power brakes at all)

nice car though. It seems a bit hacked