Lucas ignition upgrade for XJ6,electronic or stay with points?
The Lucas points-based ignition on my Series 1 4.2 needs constant fiddling. I'm adjusting the points gap every few thousand kilometres and the timing drifts. Is it worth fitting an electronic ignition conversion like the Pertronix or Lumenition system? I want reliability without changing the external appearance of the distributor for concours purposes.
The Pertronix Ignitor fits inside the Lucas distributor and is completely invisible from outside. It replaces the points and condenser with an electronic trigger. I fitted one to my MGB ten years ago and haven't touched the ignition since. For the XJ6 you want the Pertronix 1144A which fits the Lucas 35D6 six-cylinder distributor. About $120 and 30 minutes to fit. The timing stays stable and the car starts first turn every time. Best reliability upgrade you can make to a Lucas-equipped car.
I've fitted Pertronix units in both my P1800 and a friend's XJ6. Both have been faultless. The beauty is that if it ever fails, you can refit a set of points and condenser in fifteen minutes and drive home. Keep a spare set of points in the glovebox as a backup. For concours purposes, nobody will know it's there unless they physically remove the distributor cap.