Birge, be sure to invest in a ballast resistor! You can get a universal one at most any auto parts store. It is a big white ceramic deal 2 or 3 inches long that mounts to your firewall with 2 electrical tabs on either end. Put in in between your ignition switch and coil; this is designed to do 2 things: drop the 'running' voltage of the coil down to about 9 or 10 volts, and it also prevents the points from burning up if the key is left on without the engine running.
I've seen a number of old trucks that didn't have ballast resistors on them; usually ones that have been converted from 6 volts. I'd also suggest while you're at the parts house to get a new condenser for you points. It's located under the distributor cap, mounted on the base.
Can't go wrong making these vital and inexpensive maintenance checks!
