Do aftermarket/ modern electronic distributors contain ballast resistors or ignition modules?

[Captainfury]

Clearly it seems the answer must be a YES

So, my '71 NYer with original 440, was a non-runner, and is being slowly sorted out, as I could not bear to see such a great big piece of motoring beauty to sit and fade away.
The original Carter was really siezed up, so was kept, and replaced with a Holley, which is fine, and Im sorting out the wiring looms at the moment.
Previou owner replaced original distributor with what looks like a Chinese MSD copy.
My mechanic friend installed the Holley, and with a new fuel tank, has had her running.
BUT I asked him about ballast resistors and ignition modules being visibly absent from the firewall, he said something about them being incorporated in the distributor. He also pointed to a lumpy section of the distributor, below the cap, which he said was where these were, apparently.
Im fairly sure there's truth in here somewhere, but has anyone had experience in these matters and wish to share?

Any advice is always greatly appreciated.

 

[SIPLOWGUY]

Post photos

 

[Davea Lux]

Most Chrysler electronic distributors used a ballast resistor. Some were the same as the stock points unit and others were the dual pass type. Your '71 would have probably had the single pass stock type. Most of the Chi-com knockoffs are a POS. The early MSD units were prone to shorting out and caused a lot of problems as in leaving you stranded on the side of the road. I would suggest trying to find a stock Chrysler setup as they were more reliable that most of the after market stuff. Check the top of the intake manifold close to the coil, this is where the ballast resistor would have been on a stock setup.

Dave

 

[Captainfury]

Cheers Dave.
Yes- I agree about the knocking stuff being crap. It's because the usual rules of economics are at play- pay less, get less. I would rather pay a bit more, and get something made to a better standard, so that's why I always return any previous work done , back to OEM. The ignition system is being returned to Chrysler specs, so I have put a new ballast resistors in, and changing out the other gear to OEM as well.