What do I make of the price range from $70-to $300 for replacment distributer?

Hello, Pricing just varies from brand to brand, warranty period, track record, etc... the old saying "you get what you for", is about right most of the time. Spark plugs and wires should be changed if faulty, or if the manufacturer suggested interval is near or past. To test the wires, check how many ohms of resistance you have between the terminals. High ohm readings are bad.

You should concentrate on restoring ignition 'spark' to get the engine running first, like we discussed previously... Then tune as needed... I hope you've made provisions to have the 'crank position re-learn' performed after distributor installation! .. As for this distributor, it's basically just a crank angle/camshaft sensor, not much to it, however it does have to be operational... Ignition system spark is actually 'generated' totally outside of 'this' distributor then it is mearly 'distributed' via the rotor and distributor cap .. That is NOT an ignition module inside that the wire connector hooks up to, it is a sensor .... Just so you know! .. Use the diagnostic flow charts I provided a link for on your other post.