rookie with timming question

Turn the distributor housing, just like you do with points. Try not to buy a system that you can't get parts for in some small town. I would use stock Ford Duraspark parts.

Al

Fortunately, you don't have to remove the distributor to add the aftermarket kits. That saves a lot of hassle, and eliminates the most common timing errors.

The exact timing as specified in the book is often not correct for your car. A lot of things have changed in 40 years - engine wear, fuel quality, etc. Here's what I recommend.

1. Use a timing light to get it pretty close to 10*.
2. Get the engine warmed up to operating temp.
3. Place a glass of water on the fender.
4. Turn the distributor back and forth a little bit until the vibrations seen in the water are the smoothest.
5. Test drive the car. You should not have any knocking/pinging when you tromp on the gas. And it should restart easily when hot. If not, back off just a tad and try again.
6. Clamp down the distributor and leave it alone - it's perfect.

An aftermarket electronic module will allow more ignition power than the stock parts. That's one of the big reasons for the upgrade. Be sure and upgrade the rest of the ignition system at the same time: plugs, cables, coil. You can also open up the plug gap a little, like .040-.045.