Is this an electrical 'component' or a resister 'wire'. If the latter is it distinguishable from other wires?

If I remember correctly, the ballast wire was PINK in my Escort Loom.

[Edited on 23/2/07 by RoadkillUK]

Can be either. If a separate resistor will usually be attached to the coil & may be either circular & black or a white rectangle. If it's a Ford far more likely to be a ballast wire, usually about 3 foot long (or approx 1m) & most commonly grey in colour with a male bullet at each. Sometimes within the loom sometimes just taped to it. Hope this helps.

Pink and white in the escort loom, its soldered into the main coil feed. You will have to strip the loom out to cut it out and replace with std wire if you are going for a 12v coil.

I used a modified escort loom in my build

David

In my Escort, years ago, it was a white rectangular ceramic block about 2 inches long by 3/4 inch square, terminal at each end screwed to side of engine bay

In the Cortina it was a thick grey wire that ran along the inner wing for cooling, they do get warm. I have a ceramic block type in the shed somewhere, it looks a bit like a fuse.