Thank you guys I'll go down the practical rout and do what you have all suggested.
For interest, I watched a guy on Utube way back showing the viewer how to electrically test the primary and secondary coils using his multimeter. He referred to a general Resistance chart specifying range values to establish whether the coils resistance is within specification. From which the coil conditions can be assessed i.e. Passable, workable but has a short term life, and total failure.