[Tom Endy]

Years ago I thought that the wireless lower plate seemed like a good idea, so I rebuilt two distributors with them. I put one on the Vic and the other under the back seat. Soon after I went on a Model A tour to Montana. While up around Salt Lake City, about 1200 miles from home, the car started cutting out at the normal cruising speed. It became hard to start when we stopped for gas. Finally at a gas stop it refused to start. I replaced the distributor with the one under the back seat and it started right up and ran fine.

That night at a hotel I took the offending distributor apart and found an arc on the slanted plate made by the sparking acorn nut of the wireless assembly. There was a severe burn mark at the fully retarded position where I started the car and one at the normal advance position when cruising along.

I made it home ok on the second distributor, but when I disassembled it I found it was headed down the same road.

Needless to say I became a believer in leaving it the way Henry designed it. The secret is to be sure to use the multi-stranded wire in the lower plate supplied by the better suppliers.

Tom Endy