Distributor questions

[purzell]

Truck: 1966 GMC with 351E V6

Guys, please be gentle on me. I am a total automotive noob and I'm just learning this as I go along, using the manual, the web and this forum.

I wanted to put the basic tune up into my truck. Bought cap, rotor, plugs, wires, points. Using my newly acquired GMC truck service manual, I opened up the distributor today to try to replace the rotor and points. I think I have a distributor from another car or truck. I found that the rotor is what the Napa guy called a Buick type (round and takes up the top of the cap) and the points are uni-points. Looked nothing like what was in the book. So I got the somewhat right parts from Napa for this distributor, but the wiring inside doesn't quite match up and the red wire is actually missing it's covering and exposing copper wire.

My thought is that the distributor should just be pulled out and rebuilt. But in that case, am I better off getting the "correct" distributor for my motor?

I was toying with the Pertronix ignition mod but if I can avoid the expense that would be nice. But if rebuilding or replacing the distributor is close in cost to the Pertronix, and I can put the Pertronix kit in my existing distributor, well that might be the right way to go?

I guess I need to know:
- what distributor should have been in my motor
-can I still get one for it, or
-what crosses over and fits on this motor, or
-if I can just put the Pertronix kit in this existing distributor
-what direction does the metal piece face on the rotor, I stupidly did not document it prior to removal. Pointing to drivers or passengers?

Thanks in advance for any assistance.