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is an electronic ignition upgrade made for a 57 Dodge w/ 325 V-8?
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resq302
Posted 2021-11-12 6:34 AM (#616732)
Subject: is an electronic ignition upgrade made for a 57 Dodge w/ 325 V-8?


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So we just acquired my Great Grandmother's 57 Dodge Suburban 2 door station wagon that she bought new. The vehicle was garage kept its whole life and has only 35,000 miles on it. My parents are planning on making this into a touring vehicle for their antique car clubs they belong to. I am looking to do some upgrades for safety and reliability such as doing a power disc / drum brake conversion and electronic ignition if they will fit utilizing a stock appearance and such. Does anyone make a bolt in electronic ignition upgrade for this car?

Thanks in advance !
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ronbo97
Posted 2021-11-12 9:11 AM (#616733 - in reply to #616732)
Subject: RE: is an electronic ignition upgrade made for a 57 Dodge w/ 325 V-8?


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The factory points/condenser setup is highly reliable and was used for decades. The Pertronix electronic ignition setup, which a lot of people have used, is also known to drop dead without warning. I would keep that stock.

AAJ makes a disc setup for our late 50s cars. I would search the forum for other threads on this.

 

Ron

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NC Adventurer
Posted 2021-11-12 9:17 AM (#616734 - in reply to #616732)
Subject: RE: is an electronic ignition upgrade made for a 57 Dodge w/ 325 V-8?


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Why anyone would change anything on a car like that is beyond me. I'm not a purist and I am a big fan of "Its your, do as you please with it" but you have a true gem in its original configuration. Like you, I have received a great survivor from a family member with limited mileage, garage kept since day #1, and all the original equipment/systems. I went through and overhauled the entire brake system, new gas tank, new tires, had the radiator and heater core boiled and pressure checked, changed the fluids and plugs, wires, distributor cap, points and condenser. She runs and drives like a dream. The only upgrades are an RCA AP-1 and an FM convertor (sorry, like my FM reception!) but that can be easily removed with no ill effects to the car.

Why change what isn't broken, is my point. People drove for years with drum brakes and points-style ignitions without an issue. They are simple, dependable systems that can be safely used to convey a prize like your down the road with no problems and not one reason to cause alarm. I keep an "Oh Crap!" kit in the trunk with extra points, rotor, condenser, feeler gauge, screwdriver and hand-wipes just in case but I'd never change out something that's not faulty simply to have a more modern take on that same system/part. I've mainly used it to help others who've broken down but I keep it stocked in case my car needs some roadside attention. So far, its been smooth cruising.

Best of luck with your car. I sincerely hope it brings you years of safe, exciting motoring pleasure.
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Mopar1
Posted 2021-11-12 9:37 AM (#616735 - in reply to #616734)
Subject: Re: is an electronic ignition upgrade made for a 57 Dodge w/ 325 V-8?



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I have used Pertronix on a couple cars w/o any problems, though others have cited failures. You can use an LA electronic dizzy by extending the shaft or getting a longer int. shaft, but won't look stock.
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Mopar1
Posted 2021-11-12 9:39 AM (#616736 - in reply to #616734)
Subject: RE: is an electronic ignition upgrade made for a 57 Dodge w/ 325 V-8?



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NC Adventurer - 2021-11-12 8:17 AM


Why change what isn't broken, is my point. People drove for years with drum brakes and points-style ignitions without an issue. I keep an "Oh Crap!" kit in the trunk with extra points, rotor, condenser, feeler gauge, screwdriver and hand-wipes just in case but I'd never change out something that's not faulty simply to have a more modern take on that same system/part. I've mainly used it to help others who've broken down but I keep it stocked in case my car needs some roadside attention. So far, its been smooth cruising.

There is a reason points & drum brakes are obsolete. And your "Oh crap" kit can just as easily be for the Pertronix or LA system.
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wayfarer
Posted 2021-11-12 11:31 AM (#616740 - in reply to #616732)
Subject: Re: is an electronic ignition upgrade made for a 57 Dodge w/ 325 V-8?



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While a 'near 100%' car has some appeal, it was only 'new' once and is now a great used car. Updating safety items for today's traffic is laudable and
if my son/daughter did that for me I would likely not see it as a mis-step. I think I am a bit more valuable.
As noted, pertronix is still not as reliable as they would like it to be. I'd suggest using the Mopar assembly and if it needed to be removed at some
point in time it could returned to stock with little effort. Yes, the oem points system is quite reliable, but my complaint is with the high cost of parts.
Another source for disc brakes swaps is www.rustyhope.com
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resq302
Posted 2021-11-12 1:42 PM (#616747 - in reply to #616732)
Subject: Re: is an electronic ignition upgrade made for a 57 Dodge w/ 325 V-8?


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This was our thought..... stuff we get would be bolt on items and the original stuff wouldn’t be destroyed. In the interest of it being a touring car, should there be a breakdown, places are more likely to have a newer, more popular or produced car that we could get parts on the road for, such as the electronic pick up that is inside the distributor on the Mopar Performance electronic ignition set up (which I had die on me one year on the way to a show 2 hours away with my 69 charger). After I got the part from Napa, I was back on the road in like 20 mins. Think if a wheel cylinder goes on a trip, say 2-3hours away. Would it be easier to find a wheel cylinder in stock at an auto parts store or a newer, more modern brake caliper?

Again, we aren’t looking to cut up the car, or do any heavy modifications that can’t be easily changed back. We want the car to be reliable and durable, and, should the need arise to do a repair, parts are fairly easy to get. Points need to be periodically adjusted and I don’t think my 70+ year old dad would like to be leaning over a car reaching to the back of the engine messing around with points.

Edited by resq302 2021-11-12 1:47 PM
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57chizler
Posted 2021-11-12 2:25 PM (#616750 - in reply to #616732)
Subject: RE: is an electronic ignition upgrade made for a 57 Dodge w/ 325 V-8?



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I envy you for having a 2-door Suburban, I'm stuck with a 4-door Sierra with the 325.

I opted for the Pertronix in mine and the Scarebird front disc conversion. As mentioned earlier, using a later LA distributor in the 325 will require lengthening the shaft 3/8".
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56D500boy
Posted 2021-11-12 3:21 PM (#616751 - in reply to #616750)
Subject: RE: is an electronic ignition upgrade made for a 57 Dodge w/ 325 V-8?



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57chizler - 2021-11-12 11:25 AM As mentioned earlier, using a later LA distributor in the 325 will require lengthening the shaft 3/8".


And apparently Hot Hemi Heads makes the required longer shaft:

https://hothemiheads.com/dodge/ignition_system/intermediate_shaft_36...

Scarebird's front disc conversion:

https://scarebird.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=64&produc...









Edited by 56D500boy 2021-11-12 3:22 PM
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NC Adventurer
Posted 2021-11-12 3:21 PM (#616752 - in reply to #616736)
Subject: RE: is an electronic ignition upgrade made for a 57 Dodge w/ 325 V-8?


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Mopar1 - 2021-11-12 9:39 AM

NC Adventurer - 2021-11-12 8:17 AM


Why change what isn't broken, is my point. People drove for years with drum brakes and points-style ignitions without an issue. I keep an "Oh Crap!" kit in the trunk with extra points, rotor, condenser, feeler gauge, screwdriver and hand-wipes just in case but I'd never change out something that's not faulty simply to have a more modern take on that same system/part. I've mainly used it to help others who've broken down but I keep it stocked in case my car needs some roadside attention. So far, its been smooth cruising.

There is a reason points & drum brakes are obsolete. And your "Oh crap" kit can just as easily be for the Pertronix or LA system.


I never said that wasn't the case. Had you read my whole post, you might have understood my point. Preserving a prime vehicle with a familial connection would definitely trump the purported gains from the modifications. My reason for mentioning the Oh Crap Kit was to provide the initial poster with a idea of how easy it is to keep and maintain a vehicle in its original state. Sorry you missed all that while you were looking for something on which to comment and argue.
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wayfarer
Posted 2021-11-12 8:24 PM (#616765 - in reply to #616751)
Subject: RE: is an electronic ignition upgrade made for a 57 Dodge w/ 325 V-8?



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56D500boy - 2021-11-12 12:21 PM

57chizler - 2021-11-12 11:25 AM As mentioned earlier, using a later LA distributor in the 325 will require lengthening the shaft 3/8".


And apparently Hot Hemi Heads makes the required longer shaft:.

:)

...and so do I........
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56D500boy
Posted 2021-11-12 9:51 PM (#616766 - in reply to #616765)
Subject: RE: is an electronic ignition upgrade made for a 57 Dodge w/ 325 V-8?



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wayfarer - 2021-11-12 5:24 PM
56D500boy - 2021-11-12 12:21 PM

57chizler - 2021-11-12 11:25 AM As mentioned earlier, using a later LA distributor in the 325 will require lengthening the shaft 3/8".

And apparently Hot Hemi Heads makes the required longer shaft:.
:)

...and so do I........


Sorry Gary I did not know that.(My bad )

Here is the link to what you sell:

https://www.qualityengineeredcomponents.com/?page_id=811



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Mopar1
Posted 2021-11-13 6:59 PM (#616805 - in reply to #616752)
Subject: RE: is an electronic ignition upgrade made for a 57 Dodge w/ 325 V-8?



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NC Adventurer - 2021-11-12 2:21 PM

. Sorry you missed all that while you were looking for something on which to comment and argue.
OK, we were just trying to help you have a reliable cruiser. Guess it's a good thing you don't have a Model T....
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wayfarer
Posted 2021-11-13 8:15 PM (#616808 - in reply to #616766)
Subject: RE: is an electronic ignition upgrade made for a 57 Dodge w/ 325 V-8?



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.
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Sorry Gary I did not know that.(My bad )

Here is the link to what you sell:

https://www.qualityengineeredcomponents.com/?page_id=811





No worries. I have about 20 or so shafts left, fwiw
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bbdakota
Posted 2021-11-13 8:18 PM (#616809 - in reply to #616732)
Subject: Re: is an electronic ignition upgrade made for a 57 Dodge w/ 325 V-8?


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To the op, the way I added electronic ignition to my 315 was to keep the points and use the points as a trigger for a CD ignition box. My box is hidden under the dash, I have blade connectors in the wiring. I can swap 2 wires around and be back on points in case of a box failure.
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NC Adventurer
Posted 2021-11-14 7:26 AM (#616817 - in reply to #616805)
Subject: RE: is an electronic ignition upgrade made for a 57 Dodge w/ 325 V-8?


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Mopar1 - 2021-11-13 6:59 PM

NC Adventurer - 2021-11-12 2:21 PM

. Sorry you missed all that while you were looking for something on which to comment and argue.
OK, we were just trying to help you have a reliable cruiser. Guess it's a good thing you don't have a Model T....


Why the smartass comments? Is it just the keyboard bravado, the fact that you aren't saying something right to someone's face that gives you license to act like you do? There are many reliable cruisers that retain the original ignition and brake systems. As I stated to the the OP, I support whatever he does with his car. I simply mentioned that there is a definite advantage to keeping a car with strong family ties original. Sorry that rubs you the wrong way.

And we wonder why more members don't participate in the forums more!
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resq302
Posted 2021-11-14 9:42 PM (#616843 - in reply to #616732)
Subject: Re: is an electronic ignition upgrade made for a 57 Dodge w/ 325 V-8?


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We had original point style distributor in my Dads 69 GTX till this year and the car was running ok but when you got on it, it started breaking up. The points / dwell was the problem and Dad said that he didn't want that to happen on a tour. At his age, I wouldn't expect him to tinker with a car on the side of the road trying to get it running right. Local shows or whatever, its a different story but 3 hours or so away, I can't blame him. Again, its all going to be bolt on stuff that we can swap back out if we want to make the car completely 100% stock again.
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Mopar1
Posted 2021-11-14 10:52 PM (#616844 - in reply to #616843)
Subject: Re: is an electronic ignition upgrade made for a 57 Dodge w/ 325 V-8?



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Case in point, I was going to the Street Rod Nationals in August. The Fuel pump crapped out on my 331. Fortunately I use the LA pump so replacing it was a short trip to AutoZone vs....
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ronbo97
Posted 2021-11-14 11:21 PM (#616845 - in reply to #616844)
Subject: Re: is an electronic ignition upgrade made for a 57 Dodge w/ 325 V-8?


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Mopar1 - 2021-11-14 10:52 PM Case in point, I was going to the Street Rod Nationals in August. The Fuel pump crapped out on my 331. Fortunately I use the LA pump so replacing it was a short trip to AutoZone vs....

...vs carrying spare parts with you. Same deal with carrying spare points, condenser, whatever.

A guy in the Chrysler 300 club drives his 1961 300G about 10,000 miles a year. He carries just about anything he'd need if he breaks down. Personally, I prefer experiencing a Forward Look car as if it was nearly new.

Ron

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Mopar1
Posted 2021-11-15 9:18 AM (#616855 - in reply to #616845)
Subject: Re: is an electronic ignition upgrade made for a 57 Dodge w/ 325 V-8?



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ronbo97 - 2021-11-14 10:21 PM

...

...vs carrying spare parts with you. Same deal with carrying spare points, condenser, whatever.

A guy in the Chrysler 300 club drives his 1961 300G about 10,000 miles a year. He carries just about anything he'd need if he breaks down. Personally, I prefer experiencing a Forward Look car as if it was nearly new.

Ron

Good thing having a huge trunk...
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