Wanted: Red/Maroon Coil Wire Boot

[TWS]

Wanted:  Looking for a red/maroon coil wire boot found on Hemi and 440-6 cars.  Will consider boot or entire wire.  Thanks!

[69BFan]

We reproduced the boots a couple years ago.  I will have to see if we might have any in stock.  There is only a limited demand for them, so we just run five to ten of them as need be.  The coloring is different for each and every boot due to the material that was used in making the boot.  It is the same pigment that was used in the Packard Hemi plug wires found on the factory race cars and other performance cars using the Packard wiring.

We can bring a couple of them with us for the Nationals in Columbus if you should be attending.  Just let me know.

[moreparts]

I'm sorry to turn this into a Q&A, but what is the story on these?  Is this a hemi thing or certain year thing?  More of us may need these if we know a bit more about their applications.

[69BFan]

For whatever the reason, I have only seen them on Hemi and 440 Six Pack applications.  Not sure on why you only find them on the Hemi and Six Pack applications, but can only imagine that it was to help in identifying the wire due to the additional length of the wire due to the position of the coil relative to the distributor.  I have never seen one on a 340 Six Pack application.  Also, in viewing Survivors, it seems that it is about a 50/50 mix on which cars got the particular coil wire, possibly a vendor thing.  Also, even on the Survivors, how many of them still have the assembly line plug wires?

In looking at several originals, once they are coated with some oil and dirt, it is difficult to not think that they are black in color.  But with some cleaning, they will show the brick red coloring.  Also, having several NOS and used ones, no two is the same in coloring.  The coloring was very difficult to get right and we had the good fortune of knowing one the tool and die makers that worked for the AC Delco Packard Company back in the day which came in helpful.

I have samples from the third quarter of 66 up to the first quarter of 69.  There are pictures of the engines in sales and magazine articles in which you can detect the variation in the coloring from 1968 up into 1970.

You will also see a more bright cherry red boot found on the performance engines from roughly 1957 up to 1963.  These seem to be more common on the "Letter" cars from that period. 

Due to such limited demand, we simply made a small mold so that we could do several with one pouring.    Due to the nature of our business, I am fortunate in that I can do such projects for my own cars and to help out other owners of these cars.

It is just one of those small detail items that takes the car to the next level.  Pretty much when looking at the distributor, does it have the "Made in the USA" molded into the cap and does it have the distinctive boot?  Just the little details that some of us strive to achieve.

I will get some additional pictures to post of the boot so that you can see the variations in the color / tinting.  It cost us more in the dye / pigment than it did to do the tooling.

I will make it a point to bring some to The Nats in Columbus and the Bowling Green Moparty for those who would like to see them in person.

[moreparts]

Thank you for the detailed explanation!  Fortunately or unfortunately I won't need one.  However, I do like learning the minutia of the hobby and that's one of the more obscure one's I've learned! 

[69BFan]

Here is two pictures of the reproduction boot.  The rubber flashing has not been removed, but it gives you an ideal on the coloring.

[moreparts]

Those came out very nice.  They'll make a great addition to any ride.

[69BFan]

Thanks for the responses.  With many restorations striving for the next little advantage, this is just one of those small areas of detail that helps to take a car to the next level.