[61ChevyTruck]

well my dad just bought a 72 rag top 454 vette, it's sweet as hell but it's getting no spark, he drove it for a while and it just died on him, i found a wire knocked off the coil so i put it on and it fired right back up, we went to get some gas we turned the engine off and filled up, once we filled up we turned the key but it wouldn't spark. were getting nothing from the coil, it's a new accel super coil. the guy who owned it before obviously did some wiring himself, he works on cars for a living, but i'm stumped, ii checked the fuse box and i keep finding his wiring jobs and inline fuses on his wiring so i gotta go through all of it and check them all because i don't know whats what. i'm not too sure were to start, i was thinking start from the ignition switch and follow the wire to the starter, checking for blown fuses and shorted out wires, from the starter to the coil? does that sound like the right way to go about it? maybe i could get a light tester or voltmeter and check all the wires. well please tell me where i should start, or maybe what you think is wrong because it could be anything as far as i'm concerned, i want this thing running cuz i've never gone so fast in a car before.

[badknuckles]

do you have points or hei

[61ChevyTruck]

i believe it's points it's a brand new mallory distributor, but i'm not getting spark to the coil, maybe the points your thinking is bad, i'll take a look at it next time i go to my dad's. i'm thinking that or the wire from the starter to the coil is grounding out somewhere. it's probably something simple.

all right i'm almost posotive it's the mallory Breakerless electronic distributor, or the Magnetic breakerless distributor, or it could be the mechanical advance dual point distributor, i saw somewhere in the xtra parts we got a dual point setup, but i'm not quite sure i can't go look at it right now.

[DoubleVision]

If it is points, the best place for points is in the trash.

[Pony]

First thing you need is an electrical test probe. They look like a clear handle screwdriver with a light in the handle, a wire and alligator clip at the end of the handle and a sharp point on the other end. A cheep one can be had for just a few dollars. attach the clip to metal at the engine, test it by touching the battery terminal on the starter, the light should lite up. Next turn the key to the on position and touch the probe to the ( + ) terminal of the coil, the light should lite up. If it does the problem is in the distributor. If it doesn't the problem is in the wiring, keyswitch or nuteral safety switch(on automatics) clutch safety switch(standards). The fact that it did run, makes it sound more like a wiring/switch problem. Proper grounds are critical on Corvettes because nothing can ground thru the body. Check for a flat braided steel ground strap from the engine to the frame. Usual on one of the right rear valve cover bolts. Thats a factory location yours could be somewhere else if altered but the engine/trans/exhaust/ect are all mounted in rubber and without a proper ground weird things happen. Good luck.