Mitsubishi Repair: 1991 Mirage, mitsubishi mirage, plug fire

Question
My son drove his 1991 Mitsubishi Mirage to school last week.  Four hours later he went out and it wouldn't start.  The starter is okay since it turns, but it won't start.  We thought it would be either the fuel pump or the ignition coil.  Since there isn't a spark, it appears it is the coil.  I believe that the coil is part of the distributor on this car.  My question is, how do I test the distributor to see if it is working?  Will places like AutoZone do that?  Also, can just the coil be changed out or do I have to purchase the whole distributor?

Answer
Hi Brett,

I do know about the  coil to see if it's bad,attach a sparkplug and attach it to a calibrated ignition tester(any parts store will have them).connect the clip on the tester to a bolt or something metal(ground).crank the engine and watch the end of the tester or sparkplug for sparks occur,if any sparks are hitting sufficient voltage is reaching the plug (fire)and check each plug and check the cap and rotor.

I have to check on the problem your having,try that first and see if that works if not let me know and i'll do some research to fix your son car.