If you want to go electronic what I did was buy a distributor for a 76 or later, a MSD streetfire (streetfire is their cheaper brand) or the famous MSD 6AL ignition box. Get the MSD coil as well. I really suggest finding the problem before you go changing things, though.
Tedster's point about the ignition parts being sold today are terrible quality and I absolutely 2nd that point--- a lot of this crap today is junk out-of-the-box. I had a customer recently with a 64 impala that wanted us to change out his points and the only points plate he was able to bring in wasn't even close to the original part. They failed 10 miles from my shop, so we put the old ones back in to get to run. China has no ideer how to make these components and everything is so universalized that it is rediculous.
--to get back to where we started, it seems that you have gone thru more than one set of points/condensors? Because it runs good for a while then craps out? You could just have a crummy wire somewhere giving you an intermittant problem. When it comes to electrical troubleshooting, you have to try to cut the problem in half. Are your points getting burnt up or do they seem to stay in the same condition? I would be checking connections, especially grounds(it never hurts to add in temporary or additional ground connections). I do not recall if the points trucks have the nifty clip-on connectors to the coil (looks like a plastic half-moon that has the two wires built into it--the coil had non-threaded contacts) or if the coils have the nut-and-bolt, individual connections? Those were problematic and might be worth bypassing or replacing and are a typical failure area. If all this seems true then I might replace the coil anyway as it has not been replaced yet, updating it at the same time to delete any funny connectors.

 

My connections are a threaded nipple that some boot type connector slips over it is integrated into the wire.

 

oh yeah, cut those slip on things off and get some nice eyelets that you can retain with nuts. I always had those things corrode, which the corrosion follows up the wire a couple of inches and makes it resist current terrible. Those are the same pieces of junk on the starter solenoids and oil pressure sending units that have ALL failed on my trucks lol.

 

I drove a 72 Duster with a 318 and points ignition for YEARS. While I was in college, I started having to change points quite frequently. One set of points lasted a month, then a week, then 2 days! Wow... how do you burn out points in TWO days?? Come to find out, one of the wires going to the coil had an issue. The little spade connector that crimps to the end of the wire... the strands were slowly breaking. When I discovered it finally, there were only two strands of wire barely hanging on to the connector. Cut it off and crimped on a new connector... and didn't change points again for YEARS after that!

All that because of a weak connection at that connector. If you haven't already, check all wires and connections.

 

Do it. I got a cheap HEI setup for my Cleveland V8 and its brilliant - just wire to switched positive and that's it!

The coil in the HEI is in the cap, and the ignition module is built into the housing. Very good setup, all self contained and very easy to live with.

My only recommendation would be to gap your plugs out to .060" to take advantage of the superior spark. You will find that you start much better and have better response and roll-on power.

I used something very similar to this.

Cheers - boingk

 

I vote for using your original points dizzy to trigger an MSD box and compatible coil. It would probably be pretty comparable to DuraSpark.

 

needs a new condenser ... or convert and just carry a spare brain box

 

Burnt points: bad condenser and/or no ballast (resistance) in coil primary circuit.

Bulging coil: no ballast in coil primary circuit.

The way the ignition switch/solenoid is wired, during engine START the ballast is temporarily bypassed and full battery voltage applied to the coil for a hotter spark. When ignition switch is in the RUN position, the primary coil voltage is reduced, to keep the points from burning from excessive current. Make sure the ignition wiring is straight and not swapped around or ballast wire aka "pink wire" removed etc.

Another dependable way to roast/bulge/blow up the ignition coil is to leave the ignition switch in the RUN position (without the engine actually running.) Don't do this, that's why there is the ACC position. A minute won't hurt anything but a half hour might. A few hours you may come back to an exploded ignition coil with wire guts and oil all over. If the points inside the distributor happen to be closed during that time, they will be burned up as well.