72T in cold weather with 3.0L EFI 46PMO based on '77 turbo. Best ignition for cold ?

Hello Gents,

I have just returned from San Diego and finally enjoyed in person the '72T I was kindly guided towards by the helpful folks on this forum. However, I am now having fears of problems with her during the colder early-spring and late-fall months (Montreal, Quebec, Canada.) The engine is a '77 turbo case, 46mm PMO carbs, EFI, 3.0L (see my avatar). What ignition system would be best for those cold weeks ? Is there a real benefit to the MSD systems for idle and start up under colder climates ?

Having driven the car in San Diego, I now foresee myself driving it all too often. Mark Kinninger's work on this engine is amazing, his goal may have been to create a race engine but the end result is a truly usable power plant. She still has torque below 3k such that I can put her in 3rd and have a conversation while engaged in regular street driving, bring it back into 2nd though and rev her ... you're sitting in a track car and she'll remind you.

Thanks for any help, I realize the engine is not "early" but I am hoping to catch a few of the north-east Gruppe members'.

I wouldn't touch it! Wait until you actually have a problem starting it, which I doubt!

What ignition system does it have now?

I would be more concerned about the cold-start and drivability of the 46 webers. I'm used to MFI, Webers DO take a while to warm up. Hmm maybe this is why the Factory fitted a hand throttle. . . :)

I've got a very similar build, 78 3.0 case, with 9.8:1cr je pistons, s cams, and 46mm webers....I had paul Abbott rebuild the webers and now I have a car that starts cold, even in winter, no issues....yes, I have msd, but I doubt factory CLI would be a problem either....

Thanks for the responses. Here are the details:

Present system is an older Perma Tune that has been on for 10+ years.
Choices are factory bosch 3 pin unit or MSD 6AL (need a rev limiter).
Engine is not twin plugged, JE pistons in Mahle cylinders at 10.0:1.

@edmayo: Would love to wait, but it is MUCH easier to get work done by the guy who built the engine and in San Diego. Also, MSDs are not the priciest thing in the world.

@304065: what do you mean by drivability ? will it sputter tonnes ? stall ? mess up its torque curve.

@sonett43: thanks !! was anything specific done on the rebuild of the Webers ? Otherwise I imagine the PMOs should do just as well.

Thank you all for your responses. Sorry, I can find very little on these modified engines and cold climates.

My motor was built long so, maybe 1999, but driven very little....each owner since was frustrated by hard starting and lots of popping, so it has had a ton of different mechanics and shops works on it....some good, some not....along the line, folks slotted the progression circuit. Drilled out the idle bypasses, modified all kinds of things to make it run well, never very successful. I doubt the carbs were new or rebuilt when the motor was built....but someone did spend $30k in 1999 to do the motor.....so, paul had he hands full to bring these carbs back to stock....once back to stock, the car is a pleasure to drive, hot or cold, in any weather....gas mileage is pitiful, but I don't care

Hi,

Permatunes were/are not known for their reliability so I look at other alternatives. :)

Carbureted cars do very well with MSD ignitions, especially when the plug gaps are opened up a bit. They really make these engines start quicker, idle better, and virtually foul-proof, even with fat fuel mixtures.

I'd be using an MSD 6AL and High-vibration Blaster coil. Open the plug gaps to .040 and enjoy a smoother idle and improved overall drivability.

Thank you Steve, will order the MSD 6Al-2. Your response including real world experience was what I was looking for.