Learn me Optispark…

In reply to Noddaz :

Sadly, no. I'd love to though! If the 97 formula had made it to the challenge it would have been sporting one 

good to see they are keeping their price about the same as before the crazy. 
But, no money now, and the financial manager requires me to keep HER car stock! Some "improvements " I will slip past under maintenance, but she is savvy enough to not to miss that one!

Petris Performance, has a good rep, and has wires ( " upgrade over stock - fits in stock loom" ) for 'bout 80 bucks. Sounds kinda high, till I think about how long is been since I bought wires!!! Lots a changes since 2001, even if the movie was mostly wrong. 
now the plugs they are selling, I can do much better (I hope, maybe not! )

It's funny. Almost all of my wife's family, are too high tone to want this car, so we got it for $1500. And, them, being them, will even make negitive rude comments, about her even wanting it at all!!!

 
Replace the "brand new " tires, tune up, and drive it anywhere. Clean and almost perfect. For around $2K. What more could ya want?

OK, the look is definitely an acquired taste. But she was awesome in her day. 

Wires are a a pain in the butt because of routing, and old or cheap ones routinely arc to all the metal components they are touching or right next to.

Plugs and wires wouldnt be a bad idea.

IIRC up to 7.5mm will fit in the stock looms. Summi6 has inexpensive wires in their brand and multiple sizes and I never had problems with them. I ran 8s and did stock location but didn't run them in the retainers.

I think the opti thing is blown out of proportion. I never had one die that wasn't directly related to something I did. I also pressure wash my engine bays and lost a handful of water pumps and optis were fine. I always ran the cheapest parts house/ebay opti I could find, and spun mine to 7k. 

I wouldn't bother to convert to vented just to do it, if you are in there doing work already maybe a while your in there kind of thing.

It wouldn't hurt to check the harness that runs to the opti, it runs on the pass side of the intake and turns down the front of the block, it gets chafed and routinely results in an opti misdiagnosis. You can buy replacement harness for cheap and its just a sec to replace.

The Optispark got a bad rep because of the early non-vented units and the tendency for the water pump to leak on the cap.  They are actually a fantastic ignition setup as long as your expectations aren't comparing it to a Toyota coil-on-plug setup that can go 300k.  The opti is, after all, a cap and rotor.  100k is pretty impressive when you compare it to an HEI.

The real bonus with the Opti is the bulletproof optical trigger.  The rest is gravy.  There isn't any voodoo, so just replace what you need.

OEM optisparks are available as NOS, but expensive.  Remans typically run in the $200 range which is not a bad bet, but I remember buying them new from the parts counter for $139.  No bargains these days.  

Just treat it like the world's most reliable, computer-controlled HEI.  Get a vented unit, install with new plugs and wires.  OEM double platinum Delco plugs are great, so are Bosch Platinum.  Those are the only two I've tried.  Buy 9 of them.  You'll likely break the ceramic on the #1 plug trying to wrap your double-jointed wrist around the manifold.  You can return the extra if you don't break it.  Wires should be OEM or you can go with a spiral core MSD or Mallory.  Accel wires don't play well with Optisparks, nor do cheap parts store resistor wires.

While you're in there, find the weep hole on the bottom of the water pump.  Epoxy or JBweld a stub of nylon, steel, copper, stainless, brass, whatever tube in it.  Then stuff a 1/4" rubber hose on it and drop it down to the radiator core support.  When your water pump starts to weep (when, not if) it will weep on the ground instead of your optispark and serpentine belt.

My first optispark (1996) lasted to 125k.  On a full throttle blast, the rotor broke at 5500 rpm.  I got a hefty pop out of the tailpipe and I limped it home.  After installing the new one I pulled the old one apart.  The contacts looked surprisingly clean which can be expected with a vented cap and 55kV from the coil.  I did plugs, wires, and Opti and two owners later I assume it's still running.

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

I knew this car was right up your alley!

I was glad to find out this is the vented and upgraded; like was mentioned, I don't think I'd upgrade just to do it, but at 124K known all original, my mind is more comfortable now! Plugs, wires, maybe pigtail, but have to look at that. If it ain't bad, don't fix it

With the 2.56:1 rear, and no tach, I'd feel safe saying  it will never see more than 4K!!!

The financial advisor, being the family she's from, it will see full throttle a time or three. Just not long enough to wind that super  tall gear out!

In reply to Opti :

Good info in there; no surprise considering the handle. 
Like the ferd 6.0, opti's did earn there bad rep. But many are well over 100K miles, and 100% original, so they ain't all bad! I know several of both!