I have a 71 F100 with a stock 360. Engine performs like a lead slug with 8mpg on the highway. Compressions are good. building for a daily driver for a teen's first car. Adding headers/2.5" dual, keeping stock induction (2V) and stock cam. I would like to upgrade the ignition for better performance and mileage but keep it very drivable. Current distributor is marked D3TF12127. What system do you recommend? Any common mistakes and suggestions?

 

Yup, no fuel economy champ there, and hard to fix due to the "down the hole" piston and resulting low compression and lack of quench.

Electronics:

Ignitor

Ford DUI - Street/Strip Version

Better Dirt Cheap Electronic Ignition

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...stributor.html

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...n-systems.html

Good luck with it, be sure he gets new brakes and tires, seat belts, helmet, fire suit, full cage etc.

My second is going to be starting driver's ed now, and my first just finished her first year of driving--no hits, no runs, no errors, a vast improvement over my record at that age......

 

Thanks. I did the math and the savings on $2000 truck compared to a new one will buy a lot of gas and parts. Plus we get to work on it together, funny how he will listen to me when we are under the hood. For a stock driver, is there any benefit to new distributor/HEI units, or is the ignitor enough to get the job done and eliminate the issues with points?

 

IMO, if your current distributor is good, no issues with converting it.

There is more experience and discussion in those links than I'll ever have, so feel free to read them for hours and hours.....

Yea, those "Dad & Lad" projects can bridge the gap. Why just today I was explaining how his great, great grandfather had a Lee-Enfield in Afghanistan, similar to the No. 1 Mk. III that I have and that he was working the bolt on. And in commemoration of D-Day, the M1 and M1 Carbine came out as well.

But I digress.....

 

I installed a Petronix in my74 F100 with 360 engine..used flame thrower coil, spark plugs gaped to .45..runs good....back in 78 and I owned this truck since new in 74...installed a 390 intake.. and Autolite 4300 carb....it really helped make this truck run great...will out accelarate any 390 two barrel of the same era.. and most 350 Chevys at that time too....could never fiqure out why Ford never offered the 360 in 4 v Carb..Fuel miliage in 10 to 14 mile range too!..

 

After rebuilding my FE top to bottom, I put in a Pertronix Ignitor II and flame thrower coil. I highly recommended it. Unless you're a purist, it makes no sense to run points anymore. Just remember with the Pertronix, you need to bypass the pink resister wire under the dash.