DGC, I just called MSD and talked to them about this. You do not run the ballast resistor with the ready to run dist. They said the system needs the full 12v to the coil and the dist. Here is a link to the insallation paperwork on their site. Notice the note in the diagram on page 6 at the top right.
http://www.msdignition.com/pdf/8386 87 88_frm25013.pdf