Hey guys, just been given a '70s Mallory Voltmaster MkII coil, ballast resistor and an old '70s Mallory MSD 5 box. I'm going to clean them up and install them for the retro '70s cool factor.
I cant figure out if my oem ignition setup has a coil resistor or not?

Do I need to install the Mallory resistor with this coil? Instructions say yes but others have said only if cars ignition system doesn't already use one. I'm confused.
Anyone running one of these Mallory '70s period coils and or old MSD unit that can help?

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Olds used a resistor wire instead of a separate ballast resistor.

 

I'd use the resistor. And it's not a Mallory MSD, no such thing. It's one or the other.
Also I think that box is an inductive box, not a capacitor discharge. I'd just stick with the coil alone, it's plenty powerful enough on it's own. The 5 series boxes don't offer much advantage.

 

Ok thanks cutlassefi your right of course, the box is a MSD 5 or Multiple Spark Discharge unit, albeit a basic very early one.
The instructions say it provides extra power by supplying hundreds of spark discharges to each plug in turn to better ignite the A/F mixture.

So I can just put the Mallory coil resistor in place of the Old's resistor wire?

 

Just use the existing resistor wire that's already there. You'll have one that's a resistor the other is straight voltage. They're normally tied together. That's what you want to use.
If you were to connect the MSD box, you would just use the straight 12v supply to the box. Then the box will connect to the coil on it's own.