[Ewr101]

Frankenstein is correct, an HEI distributor has to have a full 12volts to operate at its best. The resistance wire should be taken out and a new, correctly sized, wire ran either from the junction block where the resistance wire was coming from or from the Ign.Unfused port on the fuse block. The distributor wires and rear lighting wires shouldn't be together up on the cowl gutter I don't believe. If I were you I'd trace out the rear light wiring from the tail lights to the junction block on the firewall to make sure they're ok. Then trace the distributor wire back as well. They might be in contact further upstream where they come thru the firewall.