the bolts that connect power to mag and bat have a wire that has become brittle and broke. Are they supposed to be welded or is there a better way

Replace old wire, clean the joint and solder with electric solder.

or....buy the Fun Projects all plastic rebuild kit and do the whole job right, solder all contacts...a long lasting solution.

...and be sure to reuse the original Ford Phosphor Bronze contacts inside the box. The reproduction contacts are copper plated steel, have no spring to them and break from vibration.
Ron the Coilman.

thanks guys, I think im gonna need a Kit . The rust on these copper coated bolts is worryin me

I guess this is common. Mine was rotted too. In fact it may have led to the car's not starting and being pushed into the garage (of the former owner) and sitting for 12 years. Mine were soldered but, of course, the wire let go just past the terminal. Honestly, plastic is best. It's stable and it's resistance to carbon arcing can't be matched by wood. That being said, my wood was to good not to re-use. Gave it all a coat of some stain I had laying around, soldered all connections and re-used the orig. contacts. I believe outside storage/moisture during the car's lifetime leads to the wires failure.

The FunProjects kit recommends replacing the bolts with brass pan head bolts.

It is just too easy to cut through the copper plating on the steel bolts and then you have rusting of the steel and dissimilar metal corrosion too. Brass 10-32 x 2-1/4" pan head screws and original buffed off phosphor bronze contacts makes for a bullet proof coil box if you flow some rosin core solder on the contact-screw connections. The reason for the pan head is so that the head of the screw does not sit high enough to interfere with coil insertion later. If all you can find at the HW store is round head brass then solder them up and file the heads down a bit to make sure the heads don't stick above the flat inside surface of the coil box so that the coils don't hang up on them.

FunProject Kit ROCKS !!!!
Use orig. contacts and brass screws and solder.
Geo.n L.A.

George aren't you happy you came to Fulton Mo, and got John Regan's coilbox kit?? Come back I'll sell you some more products

Hey John, I sho' am. Saved me a lot of time. I maybe back in that neck, in summer I hope. Need a fanbelt and drain plug for the pan, mines been chewed up and have to uce a pipe wrench to do an oil change. Hey, got one with a magnet ???
Thanks Buddy and John Reagan too !!!
Geo n L.A.