1957 Distributor/coil/ballast resistor relationship

[Frank C.]

My car originally was a EL engine set-up (283/283). Now it does not have the original distributor or coil or resistor or cam. I don’t know how they interact. Can I use any FI distributor/coil/resistor in my 1957 FI with EL engine? If doing so results in a slight lack of performance is one thing but if it could cause trouble, that’s another. What are the ramifications of not matching the original specs?
Right now, I have a 905 distributor, a 293 coil and an unknown ballast resistor and an unknown hydraulic cam. When last running it had a 1963 FI Corvette distributor(022) with unknown coil, and today's unknown cam and resistor. It ran strong.
I’m hoping someone who understands this stuff can teach me 1, how the distributor/coil/resistor relate. 2. How can I check the coil and resistor to see how close to the original specs these components are?
3. What are the original specs?
I'm thanking and appreciating anyone who can teach me in advance. If this is too complicated to message via forum or my post unclear, my phone is 361-782-6733, Frank

[Frank C.]

Update: I went on line and googled how the coil and ballast work and got a good answer at https://blog.simonbbc.com/ballast-re...nce-and-coils/ I just now need to know what the specs are on a 107 coil voltage and what the ballast should do it. Thanks, Frank

[Tom P.]

In short, ANY FI distributor will work with ANY FI unit.
I AM NOT, repeat, AM NOT a numbers matching, factory perfectly correct person.
Excellent functionality is my main objective.
Thus, if you have a 63 FI distributor, IN MY BOOK, a 63-65 FI distributor is the best choice for any FI unit.
Beginning in 62, ALL FI engines were solid lifter and ALL distributors had a tach drive. The 62 FI distributor only had mechanical advance, but the 63-65 FI distributors had both mechanical AND vac advance-----------------THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. A 63-65 FI distributor, used with any FI unit is a much more street friendly combination. I am NOT a specific numbers person when it comes to the coil. Any good coil, including a generic replacement coil from NAPA, seems to work quite well.
The engine/FI in our 56 is a hybrid combination of everything. The engine is a very healthy hyd lifter SB400, with an early Bill Thomas modified FI unit (cut in half, heavily ported, welded back together) and a more or less stock 65 FI distributor. It's built to resemble a 57 Airbox car.
My point is that you can bolt a good functioning FI unit, FI distributor and a good coil to any small block, and with good tuning, it will all mesh just fine.
Now, with all that said, in past years, Tom Parsons has been more or less regarded as an NCRS renegade and outcast, mainly because I don't fit with the Flight folks. But that's OK, I have a bad to the bone FI 56 that (mostly) looks like factory (at first glance).
Airbox FI.jpg


100_1322.jpg


100_0643[1].jpg

This is how Bill Thomas cut early plenums in half and ported them out to increase flow.DSCN1810.jpg

[David H.]

Tom

👍👍👍

Dave

[Frank C.]

Tom, thank you for your response. I feel more comfortable now that if it starts and runs good then I don't have to worry about what I don't know. The guy I bought the car from in 1973 was a wrench at Milford Proving Ground. I suspect he knew what he was doing. Like I said, it ran strong for the thirty years that I drove it. BTW, nice looking '56. Frank