It may not be the age of Aquarius, but we're definitely in the era of electronics. While we're normally apprehensive about anything that replaces a tried-and-true system, the advantages of switching from points-type ignition to an electronic one far outweigh any reservations we may have. And, you'll never need to adjust the points again--that alone is worth the price of an upgrade to us.
Electronic ignitions became commonplace on domestic vehicles in the mid-'70s. While the claims of a hotter spark may not be easy to verify for the average off-roader, the simplicity and durability of these systems won them popularity through the years. These systems are also minimally affected by moisture, so flooding the ignition system during water crossings is nearly a thing of the past.
Let's say you're stuck with an old, points-type ignition system--you may wonder what upgrade options you have. The first alternative is to swap in whatever electronic ignition was available from the factory that produced your truck. For GM engines, the HEI ignition was introduced in the '74-'75 trucks (depending on model) and offers an easy, drop-in swap. The one drawback is these distributors have a larger-diameter cap and may cause interference problems as the engine and body flex independently of each other. Ford introduced the Duraspark ignition at about the same time GM released its HEI. The Duraspark uses the same size distributor cap (and plug wires and rotor), and it has an external box that contains the ignition module. Finally, for Dodge engines, there's the factory Chrysler electronic ignition which also features a remote box containing the module.
Diving into aftermarket electronic ignition goodies increases your choices even more. You can either buy a new distributor with electronic ignition or you can buy the parts to convert your truck's old points-type distributor. The actual conversion varies according to which path you choose. We went through the steps of two conversions to demonstrate the strong and weak points of each, and to give you all the instruction you'll need to ditch the points and go electronic.