Hi from kiwiGMC

[KiwiGMC]

Hey guys, Ive recently bought a 66 gmc from California and had it shipped to New york. I bloody love it and cant wait to bring it back to its former glory...

I had an independent company look at it in Cali who said it was great shape and running well... It is in pretty good shape but currently runs like ****. I took it to a shop and they suggested to put a new carb, starter, water pump, distributer, leads and plugs etc. they wanted 3700 to do this which is way more than Im prepared to pay.

I have currently ordered a new water pump and starter motor but haven't got a new distributer leads etc yet. Is it worth my while switching to a Petronix one and if so which one do I go with? If not where is the best place to get a new one? I guess its worth mentioning that it has a 351E in it.

Im not a mechanic or anything and learning as i go because why not. I will be shipping the truck back to New Zealand in the near future as thats where Im from although Ive been stateside for the past five years.

Any help you guys can give me will be greatly appreciated. Cheers

[Funky61]

Welcome KiwiGMC!

That's a Beautiful truck you have there, and it has the Holley 500 carburetor too.

Crazy quote you received for basic items; shame on that so-called shop for trying to gouge you. :dollarsign::dollarsign::dollarsign:

Many of the items you mentioned can be considered basics, and great starter steps to learning auto mechanics. I you can reach out to Pertronix directly for assistance on the part number.

:coolphotos:

[aphaynes]

Nice!


I've been using Pertronix since 2014. The only issue I have had is the coil went bad in 2017. No issues since.



For me the correct kit was the Pertronix Ignitor kit #1162A, but that was based on working with their tech rep and finding the numbers stamped in my distributor in order for them to determine which kit was correct for me.



Since mine looked to be a remanufactured A-1 CARDONE (Part # 301165) distributor, I had to give them the number stamped inside the housing, which for me was Delco-Remy 1110317, in order to confirm the 1162A was in fact the kit I needed.



So just reach out to Pertronix. They were helpful then. I assume they still are.

[aphaynes]

I believe we have quite a few "learn as we go" owners on here. You can find a lot of useful information in various owner's build threads here. I know I did!

[James]

I would suggest you get a manual on the Holley carburetor. Something similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/Holley-Carburetors-Dave-Emanuel/dp/0931472083/ref=pd_sbs_d_sccl_2_4/138-4173920-4733926?pd_rd_w=pEttJ&content-id=amzn1.sym.f7f035a5-ff07-4412-8a3c-9301028ec36b&pf_rd_p=f7f035a5-ff07-4412-8a3c-9301028ec36b&pf_rd_r=4K8CPX9ER9XTRT7KMFR6&pd_rd_wg=LZMW3&pd_rd_r=ffa9ceaf-bba8-4d6e-aec7-dfbc5fd3bdb8&pd_rd_i=0931472083&psc=1

This book may or may not cover the Holley 2300, but this carburetor is just like the front half of a Holley 4150.

You should be able to get a carb kit base on the LIST number on the choke horn. Then set it up in accordance to the manual.

I would also recommend getting a manual for the truck. It will be educational and helpful when you need to work on it.

[FetchMeAPepsi]

I second getting a manual. They're not expensive and you'll refer to them over and over again. Congrats on the truck!

[Ed Snyder]

Hey guys, Ive recently bought a 66 gmc from California and had it shipped to New york. I bloody love it and cant wait to bring it back to its former glory...

Is it worth my while switching to a Petronix one and if so which one do I go with? If not where is the best place to get a new one? I guess its worth mentioning that it has a 351E in it.

Any help you guys can give me will be greatly appreciated. Cheers

Welcome to the forum, Kiwi! You'll be able to get answers to most of your questions here.

Regarding the Pertronix unit, the one you want is the 91162A. They're available for about $145 from Amazon and Summit Racing. I've installed several Pertronix units before, the most recent one in my '67 pickup with the 351E.