[ALAN PARKER]

I'M INSTALLING A NEW HEI DIST IN MY 1970 OLDS THAT HAS POINTS NOW I NEED TO KNOW WHERE TO GET POWER AND DOES IT STAY HOT ALL THE TIME .GETTEN TO OLD TO REMEMBER THANKS

[Ambassador of 'Pane]

No, use the wire that used to go to the coil, but replace the wire itself as it's probably got a section of ballast or resistor wire in it. you want 12v both when the key is in "run" and in "start", but not "off".

[sirstude]

If you don't want to replace the ballast wire, use it to trigger a relay that you run 12 volts directly to. The voltage from the ballast wire is enough to trigger the relay. I actually wired both the ballast and the "start" wire from the starter to the relay. Remember most of the old GMs had 2 wires going to the coil, one that was a restance wire to run on, and another from the starter that gave full 12 volts when the starter was engaged. Then wire the the other side of the relay to the hei.

Doug