I spent the weekend giving the Super 88 a tune up.
New plugs , cap , rotor,wires and a switch to a Pertronix ignition.
Got it running and went to set the timing and poof!
When I twisted the distributor, the metal vacuum advance tube touched the positive wire to the coil. Wow...that sucker lit up like a sparkler. Nothing quite smells like wire burning, it's a smell that gets stuck in your nose. I'm not near the car and I can still smell it.

I guess I'll spend the week rebuilding the wiring harness from the engine to the ignition switch, and I'm ditching that metal line and replacing it with a hose...I don't want that happening again

 

Bummer. Things could have been a lot worse. I like your car.

 

Ouch! Glad the fire stopped where it did. You might find a way to move the coil away a little bit or fab up a cover for the hot terminal.
Wrenches hitting the positive battery terminal can work better than laxatives...

You are right about the stench of burned wires. Only worse thing is barbequed silicon (fried IC chips). They guys here at work in the lab do that sometimes...

 

Glad it wasn't more serious. That's one of those things that provides more excitement thay any of us need! John

 

man that sucks, good luck with the rewire

 

I got it back together. I think what saved it was someone prior to me owning the car re-wrapped the harness with electrical tape. It did a good job of restricting the damage.
I still have to wrap the harness again and tidy things up, but I got it running.

Now I'm having issues with the car running rough....see my post re: pertronix help

 

We're glad you are ok.