My gripe with Pertronix is the fact that their products are completely proprietary. If any part of the system fails, the only repair option is to purchase that part, or possibly the entire unit from the manufacturer. General Motors began building HEI (High Energy Ignition) systems in the mid-1970's, and produced untold millions of them for almost 20 years with few variations of the basic system until elecrtonic spark control replaced vacuum and centrifugal advance systems in the late 1980's. The HEI units made for 194, 230, 250 and 292 6 cylinder engines can be adapted to stovebolt engines with a very simple modification to the distributor housing to assure that the distributor drive gear and the oil pump drive function properly. Repair parts are available at any auto parts store, local or online, and they're reasonably priced.
In my admittedly biased opinion, Pertronix ignition systems, either complete distributors or conversion units, are overpriced and of questionable reliability when compared to an original-equipment GM unit. It would be difficult to give me one if I had to use it in a daily driver vehicle. Your mileage may vary!
Jerry
