Before playing "musical chairs" with parts again, How about doing some tests with a voltmeter and/or an ammeter? Points can handle a maximum current flow of about 5 amps without burning out prematurely. 3 1/2 to 4 amps is better. Some "12 volt" coils are intended to run without a resistor. Ford usually ran coils that had the proper primary circuit resistance to allow the points to have a reasonable life span without needing an external resistor- - - - -They were willing to accept a reduction in firing voltage during a cold start in exchange for longer point life. GM and Chrysler took the other approach- - - -Use a lower resistance coil primary winding for a hot spark while cranking, and protect the points with a voltage-dropping resistor during normal running with the charging system operating. There's no "right" way to do it- - - - -Just use the proper combination of parts and accept the downside that comes with either choice.
On a stovebolt six running a 12V system, I'd choose to use the coil and ballast resistor listed to fit a 55-64 Chevy V8 passenger car, and the foot switch on the starter with the small side terminal to bypass the resistor during starting. All those parts are designed to work together, and there's no guesswork about coil voltage. As usual, there are two kinds of ignition parts- - - -original equipment Delco-Remy (NOT AC-Delco) and "wrong"! NAPA "Echlin" brand ignition parts or "Blue Streak" are the top of the line where non-GM replacement parts are concerned.
Jerry
