73 electronic ignition box: What's the "correct" finish?

[Grec]

I've currently got a chrome Mopar ECU but want to refinish it to look more factory. It's my understanding that the correct look for a 73 box is a semi-gloss black with the "Chrysler Electronic Ignition" sticker on the top surface.

See pic below. Does this look right? If it isn't... a pic of an original one would be great. Thanks!

[burdar]

No that's not right.  That's the one I bought off of E-bay and I didn't look at it close enough before hand. 

The plastic part with the pins in it should be black...not white.  The sticker isn't 100% correct either.  Both of those things could be fixed easily.  You can mist some flat black paint on the white piece and no one will be able to tell.  Most of it is covered by the wire harness plug.  The correct sticker is available from PCG.

The main thing that isn't right is the gold part of the ECU.  Compair your picture to my original ECU.  You can see that there is an extra metal piece on the inside of the original part that is not on the new one.

I'm going to use the one I bought until I can find one that is more correct looking.

[Grec]

Gotcha.

I believe the chrome ecu I have has that "extra metal piece on the inside," but unfortunately, I think it's black, not gold.

I want to keep the hotter spark of the chrome box, so I suppose I'll just hit it with black and put the correct sticker on it.

After all, my 440 Six Pack isn't exactly correct... but I AM going for a close factory look in the engine bay. :-)

Thanks as always, bud!

[burdar]

The MP orange boxes have the extra metal part too but it's blue.

[Grec]

Yeah. If I had to choose an incorrect color, I think black would be less noticeable.

It'll still look a lot closer than what I have today. :-)

[burdar]

Yeah. If I had to choose an incorrect color, I think black would be less noticeable.

 

Putting a red "X" on it would be a nice touch too.  Both mine and HooD's original boxes have a red X.  My original box is at a graphics shop right now.  THey are designing a stencil of the part# and date code so I can put those back on too.

[Grec]

Interesting.

I can see the X in your pic. Is it paint?

How will the stencil work? You just overlay and then hit with white paint and then peel off leaving numbers behind?

I love little touches like that. :-)

[burdar]

The X looks like a red grease pensil.  I'm trying to find someone that has one.  I don't want to buy one and use it once.

The plan for the stencil is just as you described.  Since it's so small, time will only tell if it works out or not.  I've got some "appliance white" spray paint that I thought would work well for the numbers.

[Grec]

"The X looks like a red grease pensil."

That's what I was wondering. It looked a bit too fine / neat for a Mopar assembly line if it was paint. ;-)

[Grec]

Found this...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230688614267+&item=230688614267&lgeo=1&vectorid=229466#ht_500wt_1413

There's also NOS ones around for $80-150

[burdar]

There's a guy on here who bought an NOS one and the paint is faded just as bad as mine.  The factory really used some cheap paint.  I like the one in the link.  It would be easy to repaint the black to get it looking good again.  I'd have a hard time painting over original part #'s and date codes.

[Grec]

Good looking NOS exists...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-MOPAR-1971-6-IGNITION-MODULE-ALL-MODELS-/230658735817?_trksid=p5197.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D5%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D3592349980912944661#ht_500wt_1081

[Grec]

Ha! I'm suddenly a near-expert in the correct appearance of a 1973 Chrysler ignition module. I love this site. :-)

[PlumCraZRT]

Ha! I'm suddenly a near-expert in the correct appearance of a 1973 Chrysler ignition module. I love this site. :-)

I noticed that one has a white (or silver?) connector, not black as mentioned earlier.

[hooD]

for what it's worth......... i have never had the harness off.


original 1973 part as it currently looks.





the famous RED "X"