1971 LT-1 - Transistor Ignition Removed - But I have it in a box. What to do next?

[Mick D.]

Hi again folks,

Still investigating things on the 1971 LT-1 I acquired last Saturday, having some fun.

Some parts the seller provided as spare were what I believe is the TI ignition. I think it was already removed when he purchased it in 2016. I'd like to get the car judged, but I have no idea if I have all the parts, were I even to have it reinstalled (or why people would remove them in the first place).

You can see all of the parts at this Google Album link. but here is one to start us off.

IMG_6754.jpg

Advice appreciated!

Mick

[Bill B.]

Re: 1971 LT-1 - Transistor Ignition Removed - But I have it in a box. What to do next

Hi Michael,

In answering your last question first, folks would probably remove the orig TI units for several reasons:
* The germanium power transistors inside the amplifier shown did not enjoy a stellar reliability reputation
* Aftermarket Capacitive Discharge Ignition systems were gaining popularity in the high performance era
* Difficulty in the average owner to perform diagnostic tune-ups
- You could not attach the typical ignition analyzer to the coil, as the + side was triggered with a steady ground side

You might be well to look at the K66 sheets in the option section in back of the AIM to gain a clear understanding of the connections involved. It would behoove to really study the K66 diagram as it is a little tricky to do the steering column harness connector mod, and the cutting and taping of one of the existing coil wires.

What could complicate your re-installation of the TI even further is what mods were already performed and undone, and if undone properly, or was haphazardly "short-cutted" making your reinstallation that much more difficult to achieve.

Having a good wiring diagram/schematic available for the baseline ignition harness (and re-drawing it to simply show the areas of interest) would also be a tremendous help. You can PM or email me for additional questions, but I'm sure others on this technical discussion board will also share from their experience and knowledge as well.

Late addition: See this link below to an earlier post. The diagram and the discussion within are very helpful:

71 LT-1 under hood wiring question (ncrs.org)