Top 5 Benefits of Electronic Ignition for Your Classic Car

Points versus electronic… It’s an age-old debate in the classic community, and everyone has their own opinion on which is better. Fitting electronic ignition to your classic comes with a lot of perks and we want to explain how you could benefit. Here are five reasons why you should consider swapping your points out and installing one of our electronic ignition kits:

1. Low maintenance – no tuning or adjusting, fit & forget

First and foremost, our kits are very low maintenance, so say goodbye to messing around with points and condensers. Once installed, you can drive along knowing your timing is going to stay absolutely spot on, and your ignition system will be performing its best, with no need for tuning or adjusting. With no mechanical parts to wear, our conversion kits deliver consistent and reliable spark timing. You won’t have to worry about leaning over your engine bay every few months resetting the points gap, or standing on the side of the road replacing burnt out points. Converting your distributor to electronic is as easy as changing a set of points, which is why our kits are fit and forget!

2. Stronger spark – more efficient, better starting, smoother idle

Increasing your spark energy will give you several noticeable benefits. Firstly, you can use a leaner fuel mixture, which makes your fuel go further and improves the overall efficiency of the engine. It also helps with starting, so if your vehicle can be tricky to start at times, going electronic may save you from getting stranded. You’ll also notice a much smoother and more seamless idle, so your classic will tick over smoothly. 

If you’re wondering why you get a stronger spark from our electronic ignition systems, there are a few reasons. Now that the switching is done electronically, you will get much less energy loss than with mechanical points. The time it takes for mechanical points to open and close means some of your spark energy gets wasted. As well as that, upgrading to our system means getting rid of any arcing that was happening across the points. Electronically controlled switching means that switching happens quickly and precisely, with very little energy wasted.

3. Intelligent dwell for precise spark timing

Our kits are designed with adaptive or ‘intelligent’ dwell. Adaptive dwell helps maintain peak performance across the full range of RPMs by adjusting the dwell time of the coil. This can help reduce misfires and improve your engine’s overall performance.

In traditional points systems, the dwell time decreases as the RPMs increase because the dwell angle is fixed. As a result, the time available for the coil to charge reduces as the engine speed increases, which gives you a weaker spark when you need it the most. Dwell would also change as the points wear, so your timing would gradually get less accurate, meaning constant adjustment is necessary.

The adaptive Powerspark system maintains a relatively constant dwell time at lower RPMs to maximise the time for which the coil is being energised. It then optimally adjusts the dwell in the higher RPMs to give you the strongest possible spark.

4. Durable, resistant to harsh environments, no moving parts

Another great thing about electronic ignition is its durability. For instance, our electronic kits and distributors can handle all the harsh conditions of an engine bay, and they can operate in a wide range of climates. Your classic’s timing and overall performance won’t be affected by heat, cold, or engine vibration. It will carry on running smoothly even when conditions are against you.

And, with no moving mechanical parts making contact with each other and wearing themselves out, there is no life expectancy on our kits. Once you’ve installed the kit and timed it up, you won’t have to worry about it again.

5. Maintain original look

Many classic car enthusiasts prefer the old to the new, but ask yourself this, what if you can have it both ways? Our kits are designed to fit inside your distributor, making them virtually invisible from the outside. No big external boxes or complex wiring, they have two simple wires that come from the distributor and go to either side of the coil. Positive earth vehicles are wired slightly differently, but we have kits for those too. The simple beauty of our kits remains the same and will keep your car looking like it just drove out of the factory, so if you are considering a subtle yet reliable and effective electronic ignition solution, you are in the right place.

There are many benefits to fitting electronic ignition beyond these five. If you want to learn more then please don’t hesitate to contact us. If you wish to browse our products and place an order, please head over to simonbbc.com