AMC Eagle

[old_tv_nut]

Originally Posted by beat_truck

Didn't a regular vacuum advance distributor do the same exact thing, and according to many people, do a better job of it too?

The regular vacuum advance was not precise enough to produce the right setting under all conditions. Plus, spark was deliberately retarded from optimum performance on the early pollution-conscious cars. And with no feedback, the result would deteriorate between tune-ups.

My dad was a Ford mechanic and later service manager. Back before mandatory smog regulations, my dad's car was ready for a tuneup, so he did it and said let's have some fun; and on a fine Saturday we took it to the Lung Association free smog check. The guy running the test did it twice because he thought his instruments had failed. My dad told me that of course, it wouldn't stay that good and would also vary greatly with weather conditions (mainly temperature?).