Sounds like your electronic ignition module.  Also sounds like it has been
disconnected.  You probably have a .009 distributor which replaced your
electronic ignition distributor, and you have points, etc as lot of folks
feel that these are more reliable than the electronic ignition (more to
tinker with and go wrong, IMHO).
I am not fully versed in "air cooled-ese", so feel free to correct my
nomenclature errors.

Thanks,
Ken Wilford
http://www.vanagain.com
John 3:16
Phone: (856)-765-1583
Shop:   (856)-327-0027
Fax:     (856)-327-2242