conversion to electronic ignition

I have a 1966 rambler with a 1970 258. I would like to  switch to an electronic distributor. What is the best choice for this motor?

That's the way to do it! I didn't know you could drop a Chevy I6 distributor in an AMC with a gear change until after I spent $200 for an aftermarket one from CRT Performance.

There are two other ways, both just as good as a GM HEI.

1. Pertronix Ignitor. This little jewel screws in in place of the points. You just have to run a switched +12V wire to it and you're good to go. The best thing is it looks stock (except for the extra wire) and if it happens to fail you can keep a set of points and a condenser in the glove box and be on your way again in a matter of minutes. Works best with a hotter than stock coil, but does fine with stock.

2. Motorcraft distributor from a 1977-89 AMC/Jeep 258 (4.2L) six. Easy to find, and there are easy upgrades. The "TFI Upgrade" uses a late model Ford 300 big cap and rotor adapter and a TFI coil. You have to use the 300 six wires too (they have a better cap connector end). Best with the hotter TFI coil (the cap was made bigger to prevent cross firing from the hotter coil), but you can use a hotter aftermarket coil if you prefer. If you don't like the Motorcraft ignition box you can use a GM HEI module with a little rewiring. See http://www.wps.com/AMC/distributor/index.html for info on the Motorcraft swap. Near the bottom of the page is a link to the HEI Module hack, but that one no longer works (I'll let Tom know!). Here's a link to that -- something I plan on doing with my Jeep later: http://www.fordmuscle.com/forums/ignition-articles/492810-tricky-trick-hei-module-inside-duraspark-case.html


Edited by farna - Jul/21/2010 at 12:23pm

I like Farna's strategy, and the thing with sticking with a stock dizzy is that u retain the good mechanical advance provided in early year dizz calibrations.  I had to modify  weights (grind on them to gi ve enough advance) when changing to a chev I6 dizz.  Its oe curve was squalid and would have lowered performance if just put into an older car that had a decent dizz curve.

You should ALWAYS check the curve of ANY dist put in anyway and that being the case, the GM HEI is the cheapest easiest. Pop it in a distributor machine and curve it to your needs.
If you are buying other distributors and putting them in, then what's the diff?
Buy a recurve kit and spend a few minutes. You should any time you move a distributor from one car to another, even if all you are doing is upgrades. Remember, the stock ignition as supplied in AMC vehicles was intended to minimize emissions, not enhance performance. So moving to an Eagle ignition system is no better than ignition from GM of that era! They had very conservative timing.
I've had nothing but bad luck and pain from the Eagle/FORD motorcrap electronic ignitions and could not wait to yank that system out of my Eagle. Can't tell you how many control boxes I've replaced as well as the pickup coils due to bad wires (when advance kicked in, ignition would kick out).
Hopefully, by now, all have been replaced by better replacements and those days are done. I'd never go back to that complex convoluted wiring system they used in the Eagles and those crazy motorcrap connectors.
I'd absolutely move to the larger cap system if keeping a ford system in my AMC.