Another one of Dad's tricks was modifying a Lincoln Zephyr V12 distributor to run on the flathead V8 Ford engine. The Zephyr had two HUGE coils, and each set of points ran 6 cylinders. By modifying the distributor cam and the rotor, and using 8 of the 12 plug wire terminals, he got a system that could run about 75 degrees of dwell for each firing impulse. Since the race cars didn't run a generator, we ran the ignition and the starter on an 8 volt battery for quick starting and a hot spark for a full night of racing.
Dad passed away in December of 2014, one month short of his 90th. birthday. In October, he was stretched out in the floor of the assisted living facility where he and Mom lived, drilling and tapping the frame of his Hoveround so he could install a different design of footrest!
Jerry
