Exchange rates

What are they?

Hi Willy,

Please tell us the URL if you've got it.

Customs charges: usually (not always) applied to items over £18 not inc. shipping. Charges usually amount to duty + PO handling charge, so somewhat more than VAT - bet you you'll still be quids in though!

I've ordered several bits and bobs from the states (software, dvds etc) and have them sent to work - not been caught for extra duty yet ;-) Bugger - I've tempted fate now...

On a related note, I know of one chap who bought an ignitor for his 2000 - he just couldn't get it to run right. They swapped the unit out a few times, it would be fine for a week or so then fail again. He went back to points...

Ah well, I'll flog it on Ebay at a massive profit if I don't like it! It's the first negative note I've heard though, they usually seem fairly widely recommended.

This is the site I've ordered from. I used Paypal as my account's in credit at the moment.

Electronic ignition. I could use a couple of extra mpg and am enough of an optimist to think it'll help.

Thanks for that - I've just found

What have they quoted you for shipping, as their shopping basket doesn't calculate foreign orders online?

Ignitor problems: to be honest I've read of a few (try Google, Ignitor) but there seems to be an element of incorrect fitting by numpties to blame...

Those are 4 cylinder versions. You had me going for a while though!

Ah well. ISTR that Canley Classics sell them, which I see as a recommendation.

Nope - look further down the page for 6 cyl 25D with vac

Hmmmm.....Aldon repackage them but.... ;-))

It's a Delco.

Aha! Sorry - I was getting a bit 2.5pi specific there! Please let us know how this order progress - I'm a bit of a sucker for saving a few quid ;-) Best of luck!

Me too! I've just had an email saying it'll be shipped from their warehouse in England in 5-7 days, so no duty to pay! It'll be interesting to see if it comes in an Aldon box or not.

It won't - unless your existing system is faulty. However, I'd still go for electronic any day, since it should have consistent performance.

Yes, several people I know in the UK got Pertronix Ignitors from here. They have an outlet in the UK so there isn't a customs charge.

I've heard mixed things about the Ignitors. As with all things, when they work properly they're great...

Regarding the coils they sell.... I wonder why an Epoxy coil is more expensive. Is it any better than a 'black' or 'chrome' coil?

David

Plus VAT on the total!

My favourite by far in the days when you often fitted such things was the Luminition. Fitted several both for myself and friends with never a failure. Had problems with Mobylec (SP?), though.

On principle, I reckon an external amp is always a better idea since it's easier to keep cool - and all electronics will fail if cooked.

Have you tried buyign epoxy recently? Not polyester which many people think is epoxy but real expoxy. It costs a bloody arm, a leg then another arm as well.

Dunno, but I can see why it would cost more.

I have bought stacks of stuff from the US and only been stung for duty once.

Stung is the word

Not only did the Customs and Excise charge duty on the product and the postage paid but the Royal mail charged an extra £8.00 to knock on my door and collect the charges.

On the accompanying paperwork there is an email address and a 'phone number to appeal against the charges. (I disaggree with duty charged on the postage paid) Despite repeated emails I have never had a reply and the 'phone number never gets answered.

Dixie

Ah well, I've had an entire spare distributer sitting in the glove box for the last few years, in case of emergencies, so it may as well stay there. (Only used it once so far, when I robbed its points for a friend's Series 3 Landrover)

Yup, had a Lumenition setup on a Marina once. It was great, but I thought perhaps things had moved on a bit since then.

I tend to be a bit lazy with checking my points, so reckon I can equate consistency with economy to some degree. That's not my only reason though, I just like the idea of getting the car to run at its best for relatively small outlay.

Incidentally, I may have mentioned before that I was thinking of trying distributerless ignition using the Ford EDIS system. I may still do so one day... In the meantime, if anyone's interested, this is what it's all about:

They have, but simply effectively replacing points doesn't address the many problems. For a start, a gear driven distributor - itself usually driven off the camshaft - can't possibly give an accurate and repeatable trigger - gears and chains all 'chatter' etc. The only real way is off rigid triggers on the flywheel, etc.

Other common problems with a distributor system include the rotor arm, cap and leads. So it makes sense to use one coil per cylinder and eliminate all of these.

Then there's the mechanical advance mechanism. Crude in the extreme. An electronically produced map is far more accurate - and can be easily controlled by external influences like petrol quality, engine load and temperature, etc.

And then having microprocessor control over the ignition allows other tricks - like maximum rev limiting, reducing power when a wheel detects a skid, easing power on a gearchange on an auto, etc etc.

Just producing a good enough spark is the easy bit. ;-)