I mentioned that engine because; It's the engine he has and asked about.
It is not "a piece of crap" as you may think. It's a low compression/horsepower/turning unit that doesn't require 50,000+ volts to run properly in a mild climate.
Points have been installed/adjusted W/O distributor machines or dwell meters for decades all over the USA. These are nice to have & use but not necessary at all.
Engines in sub-freezing temps (that's below +32F) start faster & run better untill warmed up with HEI because the colder mixture is more difficult to burn with the 18,000 volts delivered by a coventional ignition system.
Anyone living New York will explain how relevant this is, especialy during winter months.
The only reason HEI was created was to comply with the Federal mandate as Bob points out.
