More info on that reversing switch. It's there to "increase the life of the points". Sounds like a likely spot for trouble to me. More info on
this page and
this page. Since it's a one year only thing, as far as I know, GM likely found out it was more trouble than it's worth. The points have to be isolated from ground at the distributor and the ground is provided thru that reversing switch. Unless you're dead set on originality, I'd remove it and wire from the distributor to the coil contact and from the other distributor contact to ground, like the 48 and later trucks are. You'd have to pay attention to which distributor contact is normally grounded thru the switch when the starter pedal isn't mashed so that point polarity is "normal."
[on edit] Thanks Jerry, I figured you have probably seen that Rube Goldberg setup before. Seems like a problem waiting to happen.
