In this technical guide we’re talking about an electronic ignition conversion, with the work being carried out as always by our technical services team. We aim to give you an insight into how the professionals tackle the job, hopefully encouraging you to do the same at home if you’re the owner of a car that could benefit.

The Silver Shadow being worked on here – appropriately finished in silver – is a 1969 example with 35,000 miles on its odometer, a car that’s ripe for an ignitor upgrade. Although far from pristine it is well worth restoring.

The Pertronix electronic ignition kit being used is one of our bestsellers and is a highly reliable way to convert your distributor from the original points system. It fits neatly inside the distributor cap, so isn’t visible externally, but it delivers twice the voltage to the spark plugs, increasing both horsepower and fuel economy as well as extending the life of your plugs.

We always recommend fitting it in combination with a new chrome Flamethrower coil – another popular, well proven part – and we took the opportunity to upgrade a few other bits as we went along, replacing old with new to give the whole ignition system the best chance of performing well.

Just a quick reminder: if the car has been running, please allow the engine to cool before you get started. It can be fiddly enough working in and around the distributor area without making life more difficult with hot components! And as always, the usual caveats apply please note that these articles are intended as general guidance only. For model-specific instructions, please refer to your owner’s manual.

Finally, and we can’t emphasise this enough, safety is paramount. Please use the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and dispose of waste products responsibly. Good luck… and mind your head!

VIew Our Range of Electronic Ignition Conversion Kits for Bentley and Rolls-Royce Vehicles

If you have any questions, queries or tips, get in touch with Flying Spares on +44 (0)1455 292949 or email sales@flyingspares.co.uk.

Click the links for the step-by-step guide

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