[rotorwrench]

A condenser is basically a capacitor. You have to have sophisticated test equipment to test one for capacity, leakage, etc. The FA5 is usable but may take some mods to make it fit the old distributor. A person can check it for build of charge and discharge as previously mentioned. If that function is OK and it is installed where it will function with the distributor, it should have spark at a plug high tension lead. If it doesn't, the coil needs to be tested but it also needs sophisticated equipment to properly test it.

You can remotely mount a condenser of the correct capacity range to about any distributor but it has to be connected as shown in wiring diagrams for points ignition distributors. It's usually better if it is grounded as close as possible to the breaker points or coil.