Which leaves one to wonder why most V-8's have a rear mounted distributor
in the first place. Is it simply because early cars likely had firewall
mounted coils? Is it because a rear sump allowed for a better suspension
design and thus to drive the oil pump...... . From a working perspective
the front mount distributor makes a lot of sense. Also, for hyper accuracy
it eliminates cam flexing altering timing.
Regarding the 273 in a Tiger, the distributor would have been less of a
problem than the fact that the exhaust manifolds and the upper A-arm would
have likely shared the same bolts! Perhaps with a 273 in the Tiger the hood
latch plate could have come off, the heater core removed and a second
(lower) access plate removed to both set points AND remove the distributor.
No problem is too big with a large enough hammer and blow torch.
Tom Witt ('65 Tiger and '73 Plymouth Valiant 318 - a W I D E small block,
my daily driver)
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