I have a stock 1.7 and I'm wandering if an ignition upgrade would be a good move. Sounds some what easy and cheap. Is this one of those no brainer improvements or are there pros and cons. What would you recommend? What product? Looking for some good old 914 world input. Any other cheap and easy no brainer upgrade suggestions are also welcome (anything that will help the engine breath easier, etc).

looking to improve my 914 a couple of hundred bolt on $ at a time.

Pertronix is popular... eliminates points and is <$100

I have been running a Hot-Spark unit- very similar to the petronix- replaces points- i think its a manetic rather than optical, i probably have about 1,000 miles now with this and no problems, - it eliminates the need to set the points and dwell. just set the timing and valve lash,.

when i did mine i put in a new high energy coil, plugs and plugwires, as i was having unknow electrical/spark issues, so i just did it all, (ended up being a ground and F.I. wiring issue) but really happy i have all new stuff i should not have to touch for a very long time.

www.hotspark.com

Pertronix is a magnetic setup also , just don't leave the ignition on for very long if not running engine , it will burn out the unit = replacing the unit. As others have stated , the pertronix is a great addition if you watch the juice .

Jack

Compufire is better, if you wanna go breakerless. BTW, unlike the aftermarket rotor shown in the picture, do yourself a favor and use a Bosch cap and rotor. Why spend the money getting rid of the points and then add questionable junk to the mix?

The Cap'n

Why is Compufire better? Because you say so?

Because he has about 30+ years of experience unf*chin' mistakes us amateurs make.

First of all make sure you aren't modifying something to fix a problem. Much of the time all this does is mask the original problem. Pertronix (and the like I suppose) do make the car rev a little easier but they can fail and leave you stranded where points will soldier on.

Where do you get compufire? just checked the bird sight for pricing and it was not listed

I understand the aftermarket issue, I have the bosch rotor but it required either the rotor or the other thing to be trimmed down to fit under the cap, whereas this one did not. So I just have not gotten at it yet, to trim the bosch rotor to fit.

Also im always open to learning, how is the compufire superior?

Always glad to be educated about these things. Still a newbie in some areas only 2 years into ownership.

Phil

With a stock 1.7, why bother? The original points work fine and when they start running rough, it will get you back in the engine compartment to check other things like fuel leaks.

I use only bosch points inside my diz, but, points can and will fail and they will leave you stranded. I always carry and extra set in the glove box.

I agree 100% with the cap'n here. I actually put a scope on both types when I did my megasquirt install. The magnet rotor is much larger in diameter, with bigger separation of the magnets, which meant I saw a lot cleaner signal to the coil. Low rpm was where it was a big difference. I bought mine off a guy in the samba, he had them brand new for ~60 bucks. Had it the next day.

30+ years experience does not equate to a six-sigma approach that proves Compufire is better than any other after market unit. Just another's opinion.
I have a different unit that's been in my car for 15+ years with no issues.
So show some data.

Sorry can't print on my old fluke scope otherwise I would post the results I got. It was way more of a nice square wave with the compu fire.

haha, sad but true. every 914 owner should have a sticker on the dashboard saying "have you said hello to your engine today" a dead battery showed me my last fuel leak, now I check often.

Compufire ignition modules are made by a company that makes ignitions for Harleys. In my mind, if they can make a product that can withstand the shaking, rattling, and vibration of a Harley, the technology should be just fine when transferred to a VW application. While I've seen dozens of Pertronix units fail for one reason or another (and some for no apparent reason at all), I have yet to see a Compufire fail. That's why I sell them.

The Cap'n

Al, This is a forum. He can and should voice his opinion. This place would be pretty quiet if we were all held to Motorola's Quality Management Protocol.

I am in IT, and I have dealt with a handful of wonderboys who have their six sigma certification. Every one of them was more than confident in stating how things should be done, but the problem was that not one of them could actually DO anything other than Power Points and flow charts. I honestly don't mean to offend, but I will listen to a guy who has actually DONE this for nearly 40 years far sooner than a guy who THINKS he knows how to do things because he has a meaningless certification printed out en masse after a few weeks in a mind-numbing course with a bunch of other like-minded drones.

The best $$$ I have spent on my 1.7 was a ceramic coated 4 to one header.
I lost the heater in the process, but it is by far the best bolt-on improvement.
Save your money for either a 2.0 or a header

An opinion backed up with 30+ years of experience ... PRICELESS !

Where did you get the header? what kind of performance improvement? Thanks for the info!