I have an original coil, the type which mounts upside doewn with the cap from the lock on top. Is there a way to check if it is good or do I have to wait until the car is all reasembled to find out? I understand those coils are next to unavailable.

Actually, with the electrolock cap on top and the wires on the bottom, your coil is mounted right side up, not upside down. At any rate, to properly test the coil removed from the vehicle you would need a coil tester.

You can make some crude tests of your coil by setting it up on the bench with a battery and a spark plug. Just set the circuit up as it would be in the car and see if you can make a spark jump the gap.

This is a "cold" check and doesn't give you any information about shorting out/opening up when the coil is heated to operating range.

Ray,

does that mean with the condenser and everything or straight to the plug?

Duplicate the same electrical set-up as in the car. Yes, you will need the coil, a 6-volt source, a condenser, a spark plug, and several jumper cables. If you can't figure it out, come back and I will describe the setup.

I am confused here with top/bottom//up-side-down, etc.
The 1934 coil mounts on the firewall. The eletrolock cable enters on top of the coil, going straight in. Not at a 90 degree angle like the 1935 and up. That makes the "wires" on top and the high tension wire on the bottom.

Right.....when the coil is mounted right side up the electrolock and cap is on the top and the high tension wire is on the bottom. Pat S described this installation as being upside down, but the coil is actually right side up.

Gentlemen,

The reason I said "upside down" is that in all the cars I have seen that had firewall-mounted coils with all the wires at one end, the wires are up. You are correct in saying that it is right side up in the Chevy application. Sorry about the confusion