Ok, I need to get a new opti ASAP and I called into Advance Auto and Pep Boys and I asked for "optispark" and they didn't know what I was talking about. Then I went into a little more detail about it and they looked it up but came up with a "distributor" but it didn't sound right since it's not really a distributor and it was only like a $100 or something so I know it wasn't a full optispark which is what I need. I remember my one friend at Advance said something about an HEI but it didn't ring a bell in my mind. So is there another way to ask them for an opti or I'm gonna be stuck ordering it from somewhere?
Thanks

 

They're probably looking up a cap and rotor kit. I'd stay away from parts store optisparks. Too much of a hassle when it goes bad tracing it down and actually replacing it when they go bad to save a few bucks.

 

the last time i bought an opti, i had to get the cap + rotor from one place, and the rest of the distributor from another. FYI, optispark is the formal name defined by GM for the distributor. opti is for the optical sensor in the distributor. also, i believe the opti is a HEI unit (high energy ignition), so that part is correct, too.

anywho, AFAIK you won't be able to get a complete distributor from AZ/AA/PB/etc. you gotta go dealer or MSD for a complete unit.

 

You don't have to go to a dealer or MSD for a complete unit. JC Whitney has an Accel cheap. Don't how reliable it is, it's fairly new.

http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/P...wflag=1#review

You can get a GM unit from one of the wholesalers for a lot cheaper than a dealer. I don't know what the going price is now.

http://shbox.com/1/4th_gen_tech2.html#Dal_and_Jason

 

Ok, what can I expect to pay for it at a dealer? Probably an arm and a leg...

 

at a dealer its over 500, advance can get the GM one for 358.88 within a day. they do not carry it in stock but will have it by 11am the next day if u order before 8pm i think it is

 

Very expensive (over $531 list price) if you don't use someone like the GM parts contacts listed above.

 

for a 94 i paid 289 i think with my friend mechanics discount...i also used 8 oreilleys optis before i went to gm...WELL WORTH IT
gm piece hold 7k rpm daily

 

summitracing.com and jegs.com also carry the GM performance unit

 

Around 3 years ago, I bought a complete opti for my 95 Z28 from Auto Zone for under $300. I put over 30K miles on it and never had any problems...went through 3 trannies in that time and finally sold the car with the tranny out. Anyway, it was a quality distributor.

I recently tried to track one down for a 96 Formula I purchased, and couldn't find a complete unit anywhere. I was 800 miles from home and didn't have time or money for a GM unit, so I bought the cap and rotor kit. Hasn't failed me yet, but I've only put around 3,000 miles on it. If I had more time and could do it over again, I'd go with the MSD unit. You can pick one up for under $300 from Summit or Jegs, if memory serves me correct.

Good luck.