I've got an old 79 a14 motor I've read hundreds of posts about getting rid of the points style ignition and going electronic. My head is spinning with everything I just read can somebody simplify why EI is so much better? and which brands to consider and which brands to stay the heck away from?

Read our tech article: EI

Datsun/Nissan units are the best quality and performance, until you get into the high-dollar multi-CDI types.

Just pull a dizzy from a B310 with a A series motor. 2 wires: one ground and one ignition. Hook them up to the black box on the dizzy and you have just made the conversion. Simple.

The B310s in australia did not come with EI, they all had points, just like in Canada. But you can buy one from eBay, they are super reliable so you don't need spares, and the cap & rotor are standard parts available in oz.

The main thing is to get rid of points, which are reliable for about 12 months only.

Short version -- much stronger and consistent spark. On it's very worst day it'll out do a 'magical' set of points that are at the perfect gap/dwell etc.

You won't gain a thousand hp, but you will get MUCH quicker cold starts, snappier throttle response (esp when still cold) and smoother running.

There's basically zero downside to it too. I'll put it this way - I've fitted electronic and or HEI style ignitions to a bunch of local cars (predominantly holdens - which is a local GM brand, and locally made mopars) on my own cars and on plenty of mate's cars. And I'm telling you that EVERY SINGLE ONE of them has said words along the lines of 'I wish I had done this swap the day I bought the car' after it was fitted.

There's very generally two types of electonic ignition (and there's more actual 'types' but they all do virtually the same thing in different ways) The first general type is where they just replace the points mechanism itself,(there are some kits to do that, and there's also some factory distributors that are a replacement for points type, but in this category, I haven't seen the b310 ones so I can't comment about them) so that it is electonically triggered but basically runs a points spec coil. These are certainly a step up from just regular points, and well worth it. THe second general type is HEI (high energy ignition) which are electronically triggered but also made to produce an amplified signal and work in conjunction with a hei spec coil. This second type is 'the business' - and will give a much stronger spark again. If you can go with that type, then by all means do.

Some of the electronically triggered types that were made to work with points spec coils can be combined with different ignition modules (like something from MSD) which then combine with the much higher output coil and are then their own HEI setup. I don't know what datsun gear is compatible with what, so you'll have to dig deeper for that, but I can only once again mention that everyone who goes to electronic ignition swears by it. And most of us who have ever stuck with points, usually end up swearing AT it :)

google hotspark ignition
they make kits to replace point to suit any distributor comes with instruction and all really easy to do

if yor datsun has a factory tacho in the dash the kit that replaces the points is the only option without blowing your tacho up, im an auto elec and by using electronic ignition this increases the current produced in the windings of the ignition coil. because the factory tacho's run in series with the coil current,a full blown high energy current will destroy the factory tacho simply because the tacho's can only handle the ordinary coil current being 3 to 5 amps where high energy kits produce coil current in excess of 10 amps, but the kit that replaces the point is a cost effective way to go about it and works extremely well. it is in my std 12 distributor

I'll look into hotspark and my Datsun started life as an automatic now that its manual I have to hunt down a cheap tach. Thanks for all the info as money permits I'll jump up and get a kit

Crane cams x700, very straight forward, i used the x3000 and it works great provides more then enough spark and is simple to install :) i thkn there is a petronix one too on ebay

Crane XR700 is no longer made, is that right? You might find a used one for sale somewhere.