carsofchaos

Happy weekend everyone!
I'm at my whits end with my 67 Mustangs inability to start and desperately need some advice. Heres what's going on:
67 Mustang 289 4 speed
Didn't start when I bought it ( just clicking when turning the key in that ignition) replaced the following:
Battery ( tested good 2 days ago)
Battery cables
Starter relay
Coil
Ignition switch (2 times as I suspected one might be bad)
Voltage regulator (2 times as I was hearing a single click from the first new voltage regulator when turning the ignition key)
All wiring from the firewall forward
Distributor ( points style distributor)
Spark plugs
Spark plug wires
Bench tested the starter and starter is good

When I turn the key in the ignition, the brake light on that dash illuminates, and nothing else happens. With the ignition switch removed from the dash, when I turn the key in the ignition the brake light on the dash doesn't illuminate, but still nothing happens.
Gets weirder: car will start if I jump it at the starter relay. Even weirder is that the very first time we tried to start the car, using the key in the ignition as you normally would, it fired right up. But meet since then.

I'm pretty good at getting non running cars started, but this one's gotten the best of me. I'm going someone has an idea because I'm out of them at the moment and frustrated as all hell.

Keith

Chromeshadow

It sounds like a wiring problem with the ignition switch.
I can tell you are frustrated by some of your phrases not being clear, you will get a lot of ideas from the members here if you are patient.

Is the wiring from the ignition switch factory? Or has it been rewired by hand?
When you say "car will start if I jump it at the starter relay." are you shorting the posts with a screwdriver or jumping from another battery?
Btw, some ignition switches need to be grounded to function, not sure about yours.
When your car started, did it stay running when you removed the "jumper wire"?

carsofchaos

Hell chromeshadow and thanks for the reply. Sorry if a couple points aren't clear I'm also wiring from my phone so it's a little messy. Ok to your questions:

The wiring from behind the instrument cluster out through the firewall is new. This is a wiring kit from Mustangs unlimited which runs to the voltage regulator, headlights, and over to the starter relay switch. I also replaced the alternator wiring loom and the firewall to engine gauge feed wiring loom.
We are starting the car at the starter relay switch with a screwdriver. I did have the new battery tested yesterday just to make sure it's good ( I've bought bad one's off the shelf in the past) and it tested fine.
I'm not sure if this ignition switch it's grounded. Its just got a plug into back that plugs into a harness connector plus an additional single purple wire that attaches to a spade connector on the ignition switch.
The first time we started it, the car started like a normal car: key into ignition, turned the key, car fired right up. No jumpers or anything else we're used at that time. Since that first start, when turning the key in the ignition, the only thing that happens is the brake light on the dash illuminates and there's a single "click" from the voltage regulator. Nothing else happens.
Thanks for responding.
Keith

Chromeshadow

Do you have a voltmeter or a test light? If so, check the input to the solenoid. When you turn the key, you should get 12V.
Btw, is this a stick or Auto? Is it in Park or is the clutch in?

carsofchaos

Hello chromeshadow,
I have a buddy bringing a voltmeter over later today. The mustang is a 4 speed toploader. I've made sure the trans is in neutral when starting and I've tried starting it with and without the clutch pedal pressed and with it not pressed but I get the same result either way.
Thanks
Keith

carsofchaos

All,
I just wanted to share what the solution to this problem was in case someone runs into it in the future.
I had wired up the car myself a couple weeks before we first tried to start it. If you recall, the first time I tried to start the car with the key, it started.
After that, we made a few adjustments. I now recall that one of the the two wires that push onto the posts of the starter relay was loose. I removed one of them to show this point to my friend, who stated that I had the wires on the wrong posts. We switched them.
Long story short, my friend was incorrect. I had actually had the wires on the correct posts of the starter relay, which explains why it started the first time. After he had switched the wires to what he thought were correct (but was actually reverse of correct) the car would not start from the ignition key, but only from the starter relay.
It wasn't until this afternoon that I remembered that we had swapped the wires on the starter relay posts. Checking my wiring diagram, I found them to be attached to the wrong posts. Put them back to how I had originally had them, and the car fired right up from the ignition key.
Car now runs fine, and I've got a friend to strangle.

racer_dave

glad it got sorted out.

movielover40

Glad to hear it's fixed.