after driving my car for awhile and trying to start it, it sounds like its about to start and then doesn't. almost like i have a dead battery, but mine's new. usually my car starts right up. this has happened before and just waiting a couple of hours it starts normally. what could be the cause of this?

 

Your timing is off.
-P.

 

that can't be becuase i just had the car timed. im thinking it's the ignition becuase it looks really bad and the wires are pretty bad to.

 

it comes with the territory of owning an old car that produces alot of heat. if your hitting the gas when its warm, stop doing that. if that doesnt help get a high torque mini starter, that helps alot.

 

so it's just the heat, becuase last time this happened it was in the morning and kinda cold.

 

It could be a couple of things. Your starter is right next to the block and is subject to a lot of heat. When a starter gets hot, it expands inside, making it hard to turn it over. Try fabricating a piece of sheet metal to put on the starter to deflect the heat away from the starter. The other possibility could be you are getting vapor lock. That's when the gas in the carb boils, and all you have left is fumes. That can be eliminated by a good spacer such as a phenolic spacer.

 

thanks soaring, you always got the anwsers for me

 

It could still be timing.... no matter what, or maybe the starter.

 

I agree, it is probably the starter. At least when it gets hot. I have had that on more than one car in my life. The starter gets hot and swells, no start. But if it happens when cold, I don't know. Maybe your relay too. Usually replaced at the same time as a starter, general maintenance. By pass it with an open pair of pliers on both sides of the contact and see if it tunrns then. Good luck. It's only parts all put together that make a car. You will find the one!

 

yeah, if it's cold you have another problem besides timing or vaporlock, althought cold starts are kinda hellish on carbs too. usually, if you can start it up fine and than after the motor heats up some you go to start it again, it's the timing, or in other cases, slightly less, but not too far behind, is the starter swelling.

but as you had said it did it cold too. did you prime the carb? if so did you possible flood it out? i know with my 200ci single bbl, i had to hit the gas ONCE or it was flooded out and at that i would still have to sit, lightly, on the gas peddle as i started it up. you said it was worked on recently, maybe they could possible knocked something outta place? maybe the carb's not getting enough fuel? just a few ideas.