Thanks for the help guys, Yeh I could buy a new one, I've always thought was strange to drop the voltage to the coil. I'm with 80nordic I always thought the resistor was for the dist. not the coil . Like I said this is hou it was hooked up when I bought it. If I run it without the ballast check to see if the coil gets hot? I don't care to much for paddling.   oh I just saw hd's earlier post. she's a cheby.
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It is not for the coil. The coil doesn't care how much voltage it gets to a point - but that is how an MSD works - it boosts that voltage.

The resistor wire is to limit current and therefore heat through a device. Most people can't measure current, so that is why its expressed in voltage.

The items that need a current limiter (ballast or resistor wire) - points, unilite modules, some ignition control / amplifier boxes. Coils, MSD's, Hyfires, etc do NOT need any current limiting and can be run direct without (though the resistor wire doesn't hurt either because that wire usually turns on another power feed).

You can run any of them without the ballast for a short period of time, but it will eventually overheat and burnout or in the case of points, cause severe pitting (and then no worky no more).