Not a gold box

[John Hofstetter <hofs@domain.elided>]

>While taking the motor from the '72, something odd was found on the
>fiirewall.  Wires ran from the distributor and coil to this box mounted on
>the firewall.  The '72 has points of course.  This box is not gold.
>
>It's a square box with cooling fins on the edges.  It was glued or epoxied
>*and* screwed (via a single center screw ala houshold electrical outlets) to
>a square metal plate with a dish in it.  In the dished portion were 4 sheet
>metal screws that held it to the firewall.
>
>I took it with the motor, even though I have no clue what it does... it was
>hooked to my coil, so it might be important.  Looking like 8 wires or so to
>this thing.. more than a couple, anyhow. 
>
>What is it??!!

Tom,
I don't know anything about this device except when Dan N. and I were 
battling over ballast resistors and Ohms Law, there was a picture in the 
Motor Manual of an International ignition setup that had a device just as 
you describe. Could probably send you a picture of the diagram. That 
circuit had two resistors in it, one the ballast resistor and the other 
.43 ohms or something close to that.
John H.