Need help to get car to start State on my ass about my car sitting

[soundmasterg]

Even here in Idaho, at least in my city, every vehicle on the property must be licensed and insured if it is stored outside. I have 17 cars. Four of them are 1995 and newer. All of them run and are drivable but I only drive 5 on a regular basis (two are work trucks, one is my daughters car). I sent a letter back to the city telling them of their need to go have sex with themselves and haven't heard a word back in two years now. Only the 5 are insured, 8 are licensed. I am guessing that if they were to get a complaint from a neighbor it would be a different story. There is talk of a "clunker" law here to where it may become illegal to park a car over 20 years old on the street or leave in one spot more than 48 hours, even on your own property. This town, by the way, is the most "liberal" in all of Idaho and the county is only one of two counties to have voted Democrat last year. You decide if there is a correlation....... Ain't it great to live in a free country?

Sounds like its time to move to a different state! I've got a 1969 Volvo 1800S that has been off the road for 10 years while I restore it, and its sat without insurance at my dad's and now my place and no one has ever hassled me about it. But thats Oregon, not Idaho......

Greg

[FastWoman]

Wow, Maryland really sounds like a fascist state!

OK, so it sounds like your car AT ONE TIME was getting spark, fuel, etc. Is this true right now? You can't assume that because it WAS that it STILL IS. If you have fuel and spark, and if the engine isn't seized up somehow, it should fire up.

Check the spark. You know how, right? Crank it, and hold a plug wire close to ground. You should see a spark jumping out of the insulator and to ground. If that works...

Now check to see if it runs on starter fluid. Easy test. Just spray the stuff in the throat of the carb, and crank. If there's anything good going on with your engine, it should fire up, at least a little bit. If that works, then look to your carbs.

Also is your gas fresh? That's a very important factor.

[EScanlon]

I agree with FastWoman.

Forget about the unfairness of the law, and how it seems to be singling you out by your Step-Father or not. (You may want to consider finding your own place, but that's none of my business.) You can spend the time and money to fight it ... LATER... or you can lose the car now trying to assert your "rights".

As mentioned, you need Air, Spark and Gas. Those and a motor that can combine them.

Check to make sure you have those and then you can adress getting it moved.

FWIW

E

[HEADINTHECLOUDS]

No it does have spark (although weak) and I did test it and it definetly arced. It may be that it is old gas that had been sitting but I put new stuff in I also sprayed starter fluid in the carbs while turning her over and still nothing. Im gonna test compression as soon as I get her back from my girlfriends house (hid it there this week because the evil man was spose to come). Also I have re-check the way the coil is wired because from what I remember I think the way the guy had it before the +,- where swapped which led to the destruction of the poor coil but that may be why im getting spark just weak. There are a few more things I have to figure out before I can give you guys a better pic of whats going on with my car. I even think the timing may be off due to the dizzy being oriented in a weird manner (just read about this possible situ).

[Walter Moore]

Here is a hint, typically the #1 plug socket on the distributor should point directly forward. If you still have points make sure that they are actually opening far enough.

The coil is a transformer, it couldn't care less about polarity, but if the wires are hooked up wrong you may not be sufficient current to create a good spark.

Getting a car with unknown timing issues started can be hard for people who know what they are doing. Learning on the job is really frustrating. Hang in there.

Oh and here where I live we have "blight" laws about "junk cars" sitting outside as well. Typically if the car is properly plated and looks like it might run they will leave it alone, but it remains illegal to "store" non-running cars outdoors in most cities. The city can actually tow the car to impound if you don't get it out of site. If is stored inside a building they can't say anything.

Don't feel uniquely persecuted.

Use the search function to look for more tips on "timing" and Distributor setup.