I at least remember HAVING points! And distributor caps with cracks that you would only learn about in the rain...

My best one was my old Ford Escort that had a carb icing problem. It would just die out after about an hour driving, and make you sit there while the ice thawed, and THEN you proceed. A trip to my Mom's (3 hour drive) would have a couple of these "rest stops". Sometimes, I could anticipate it, and get fuel or food first, and sometimes I just got stranded by a soybean field with no one else around.

Ah, the good old days!

 

Hmmmmm, I remember it being just the opposite. The gap was approximately the thickness of the dime (at least enough to get it running), and the matchbook striking surface was used to "sand" the points surface reasonably clean. But I'm an old guy with failing memory probably.

 

Yeah, I'm getting old too Snoopy.

But. We would use the match box cover for a quick fix to regap the points. Seemed like they were always "closing up" after a few thousand miles on my old 68 VW. (hand-me-down from my parents)
.016" seems to ring a bell in my memory.

 

Wow.....your "old age memory" is better than mine. I can't remember the gap measurement point......Can't even remember what the DWELL setting was on the next generation GM vehicles (remember the little door on the distributor).

 

Oh, I remember that door.......don't ever do that adjustment with a metal allen wrench with the engine running and have that door drop down and contact the allen wrench. You become a human electronic test meter.

 

I always gapped my 68 VW by eye. And timed by ear.

I don't need your tools!

 

Hey, man I still got the ironing burns on my chest from Shocking Blue!! back in July!!
I just sold that very album and my entire 637 album record collection along with my turntable , 120 watt amp, AM/FM receiver(with Dolby) and stereo speakers circa 1976.