Automobile Forum

So new update! I got her running.

So as you may know, my '68 sat for 30 years and didn't run. My dad actually can't remember exactly why he stopped driving it. So last night I was determined to get her running.

I noticed primary accelerator pumps were not pumping, so I pulled them and found out that both accelerator pump check valves were stuck. So I got them freed up and every thing was pumping after that.

I pulled the plugs to see what condition they were in. Pulled all of them and found that not a single one of them was gapped, I couldn't even get the gap tool between the electrodes. So I gapped them and everything looked kosher, so I reinstalled them.

I then discovered the boots on the distributor side of the wires were too low and the terminals weren't reaching down as far as they were supposed to in the distributor. I just pulled the boots back a little and then I could feel them seat properly.

I now had fuel and spark but it would just spit and sputter. So then I adjusted the distributor. I kicked it over again and pow! She came to life!

Unfortunately, it won't idle. By the time I got it running it was almost 9pm and I didn't want to piss off my neighbors with the glasspacks, so that will be a project for another day.

I took a quick video of my success.

yeeah! suck on that, Ralph Nader!

That's awesome man! It takes more than a little brilliance, and a good amount of mechanical knowledge to bring a car like that back to life. Very impressive.

Excellent work, man. Hopefully you'll have it road ready sooner rather than later!

It still needs a carb rebuild. I hope to have it running right soon. It still needs all the brakes gone through and wheels and tires before this bad boy is streetable.

What a fantastic car. Good to hear it runs again.

Now I'm pissed because the starter crapped out. I think I fucked it up trying to get it started the night I got it started.

Did you have to crank it a bunch? Might have wore out the poor thing. At least you know it CAN run.

I did, but it should be ok. I'll pull it apart soon and make sure every thing is ok.

Good job! Most people give up on cars that haven't started in a couple of days, so 30 years is an impressive achievement to bring back to life.

OMG I can't believe you would even consider driving this, given how DANGEROUS it is. I can't even imagine driving it in the wet.

OMG I can't believe you would even consider driving this, given how DANGEROUS it is. I can't even imagine driving it in the wet.

Fryguys right, put it in the crusher and go buy a volvo.

Haha you guys are a bunch of dicks.

It is cool though. I wish I had a project like that, and a place to work on it. My dad told me I could have his 1971 Mercedes 280SL if I want it, which is in good shape and mostly needs mechanical work. But again, nowhere to work on it.