I decided to swap over the old original distributor and Bosch GT40 coil in my stock single port for a Pertronix Flamethrower distributor and Pertronix Flamethrower II coil (0.6 ohms). (This setup used to work as it was previously in a Baja Bug).

I put in the Pertronix gear and hooked it up according to the Pertronix instructions (red wire and ignition to coil +, black wire to coil -) and set it up to do static timing.

When I turned on the ignition, I got electrical smoke from around the dashboard so switched it off straight away!

I disconnected everything and tried to check it all again but now don't seem to be getting an ignition signal to the engine. It will still turn over and the headlights work, but the oil pressure and alternator lights don't come on anymore. One of the wires (solid black I think) from the ignition barrel is no longer very healthy (crusty!)...

Is this likely a fried ignition switch in the barrel? I've taken the barrel out and found that it is not a simple replacement using connectors, all wires are soldered individually.

My other concern is that I don't want to fix the ignition switch only to fry it again if I'm doing something wrong with the Pertronix gear.

Any advice appreciated - I know I stuffed it up somewhere but am unsure where!

Black is VW ignition + (15).

sounds like you got your wires crossed and you may of stuff the Pertronix gear and a fuse or two