Crazy Carburetor Starting Procedures on the 1973 Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth Lineup!

[@hughjass1044]

Hearing that audio of the Mopar starter turning over and no engine running brought back a lot of very funny memories of encounters I had or saw back in the day. Old guy lived down the street from us was always fighting with his old Fury to get it started. We'd hear that starter cranking over, the engine racing to the moon then konking out followed by a long string of swearing then the whole thing all over again.

[@roaddawg3217]

Dude! That guy lived in my neighborhood too😂 even as a kid, i knew i wanted nothing to do with that car

[@hydrocarbon82]

And old timers wonder why car manuals don't have squat about how to do basic checks on the car - the engineerds realized since THOSE old timers don't read manuals, their kids never will either. And thus, they saved lots of time writing.

[@Chevroldsmobuiac]

Same thing with our next door neighbor and their Ford Galaxie. She sometimes would spend the better part of an hour trying to get the car running long enough to get it out of the driveway without conking out.

[@mikee2923]

All the carbureted cars I’ve owned were mid 70s-mid 80s GM cars. I always found the best way to start them was to push the gas pedal once to the floor to set the choke and just turn the key if the engine was cold. In cold temps I’d do 2 pumps. If the engine was still warm I’d just turn the key and it would start right up. I always kept them properly tuned so maybe that’s why. I do like the fact they used the correct Mopar starter sound in the video.

[@jenseninterceptors]

Correctamundo, once to floor always worked for me

[@AlexanderCrump]

I grew up on GM and Ford carbureted V8s in the '70s and '80s and never had an issue with getting them started. The only trick was knowing how the fast idle cam worked. They were a bit finicky in really cold weather until fully warmed up. Fuel injection was an absolute godsend.

[@MikeekiM-vh5se]

Only ones that had issues were the 2 barrel on certain years of the 318.. We had 360 2bbl always started like a new car,383 2bbl started like a modern car and 4 barrel 360,383,400,440 were easy to start.

[@davidwatt7663]

Adam I had a Australian Mopar wagon a 73 valiant with a 318. The ballast resister failed, I did not know this and even replaced the timing chain, plugs , ignition leads, coil !! All to no avail. A call to the states and I was told “ you have replaced the ballast resister haven’t you ?? “ My response was where is it ?? It’s on the firewall dummy. Oh Much older and wiser now 😊

[@soaringvulture]

They had Valiants with 318's in Australia? If I knew that then I would have moved.

[@LakeNipissing]

I still have the spare ballast resistor in the glove box of my 76 Dodge Aspen. Still sealed in the cardboard-backed plastic package. The day may still come when I need it !

[@shanemitchell477]

@@LakeNipissing OMFG! I think my 72' cuda was the first year for electronic ignition.

[@kenkamins9364]

​@@LakeNipissingHaving one in the glove box is enough to prevent failure to the one under the hood. Murphys law!

[@munnsie100]

@@soaringvulture Yes, we even had the 360! Outside of the Valiant range, the 318 was often fitted to our Dodge trucks and used in the commercial world. The Slant-Six was well respected here, too.

[@61rampy65]

This has little to do with '73 cars, but it happened in '73. Chicago was having a particularly cold spell (well below 0). I was at a friends house where we watched his neighbor try to get his 66 Chrysler Wagon started. After a while of him not getting it started, we drove away for about a half hour. When we came back, he had gotten the car started and apparently put a brick on the gas pedal, as the car was running over 4000rpm (with nobody in it). We left again, came back another half hour later, and the car was _still_ sitting there with the engine screaming. So, we took off for yet another half hour. When we returned, the car's engine was off, but the car never moved again. Pretty sure it threw a rod. Eventually, the car was towed off, never to be seen again.

[@lrich8181]

My Mother's '73 Coronet ran fine except when it refused to start.You could wait about 10 mins then it would start just fine.I read an article in Popular Mechanix stating to remove the electronic ignition module from the firewall sand off the paint from the firewall and replace it. The problem was the module wasn't properly grounded from the factory.We never had any starting issues after that.

[@STho205]

A problem that manufacturers forget to write down for next time. Ford sedans of the teens all had bad battery grounds because they were bolted onto a painted surface. Once corrosion got into the threads of the bolt current resistance increases and the computer stuff starts to act erratically...and the car won't start or run smoothly

[@chrisbosley7095]

Great video! Also, that instructional video was produced by my former employer, Ross Roy Communications! Many great times and many great people worked there.

[@robertelee2797]

They produced a lot of excellent films. Thankfully many are on youtube.

[@josephgaviota]

They're no Jam Handy.

[@HelpingHand-ic4wt]

Wow! That could be a feature interview on this channel! I have a copy of "Boulevard Photographic" and the thought crossed my mind they might have been involved with these films but I guess not. I am sure the Chrysler crowd would love to hear more of that if you ever want to recollect the memories.

[@NorthernChev]

My goodness, I COMPLETELY forgot all about the spark plug controversy from back then. You're ABSOLUTELY spot on with this story. This actually WAS a thing back then, and the problem was (nearly instantly) solved by ditching the factory spark plugs and replacing them with AC Delcos. In fact, I can remember a day when I used NOTHING but AC Delco plugs in everything I worked on, simply because I grew up mechanic'ing back in those days when this was happening. I vividly remember people in the late 1990s trying to convince me I didn't have to worry about that any more. LOL.

[@michaeltutty1540]

Our Chrysler products worked best on Champion. Come to that, so did our 81 Volvo 240. The points and condenser ignition combined with a single side draught Zenith carburetor worked perfectly on Champions gapped at precisely 29/1000.

[@robertkeeney3898]

Now plugs last almost forever and the electric fuel pump does the priming. If either one or the other does mess up then it can screw up the other.

[@jimkanellakos4699]

​@robertkeeney3898 you're right, although at 100k to 150k I'd check the spark plugs, especially if you're mostly city driving.

[@NorthernChev]

@@jimkanellakos4699 ...Back then plug replacement needed to be done every 25,000. 100,000 mile spark plugs is a very modern thing.

[@robertkeeney3898]

@@jimkanellakos4699 Almost forever = relatively speaking

[@dumahim]

my first car was an 83 Celebrity with the 2.8 and it was so easy to start. Cold, one pump, starts right up. Any other time, no pump, damn near instant start. Like just snap the key forward and let go and it was running. People always talk bad about 80s GM cars, but they were still simple in those days, cheap to repair, and for the ones that I had, pretty damn reliable.

[@jetsons101]

We mounted a second ballast resistor using the same screw for the first one. If it went bad, we would just open the hood and move the wires to the second one, then "start and go."

[@markg7030]

Good idea!

[@mrl22222]

nothing says "Chrysler reliability" like mounting a 2nd resistor on your new car, because it will break

[@oi32df]

To be sure to get through the wet season, you might as well put an underdash rotary switch controlling a dozen ballast resistors already connected ...but since it's a Mopar you'll still have to open the hood for something else.

[@Flussig1]

Nascar

[@misters2837]

It's almost as bad as Ford Solenoids...I had 2 bolted to the fender!

[@caseyjones1999]

I remember Grandpa talking about how his malaise era Chrysler vehicles had starting problems until he had a Dodge Colt not knowing it was really a Mitsubishi. He said that car started great regardless of temperature 😊

[@DUCKSAREEVILLLLLLLL]

My Dad had a Chrysler E-Class with the 2.6 liter Mitsubishi engine. It would vapor lock because the fuel filter was too close to the exhaust manifold. Once that was fixed, the timing chain guide broke. This was a pretty low mileage car. He traded it in for a higher mileage Buick 3.8 V6 LeSabre, which ran to over 200K.

[@j.kevvideoproductions.6463]

I love the image of the distressed ignition parts ! 😂. "Don't jab the pedal!"

[@oriontaylor]

They could have installed a voice box from a talking doll of the time period that said 'Owie!' whenever the pedal was jabbed too hard!

[@donmoore7785]

The frown on the carb's "face" made me think "I don't want an unhappy engine, I'm buying some other brand."

[@325xitgrocgetter]

And lets complicate it even more in 1974 with ignition seatbelt interlock! I remember my parents 1986 Pontiac 6000 LE with the TBI....the decal on the back of the sun visor had this one instruction..."with your foot off of the accelerator pedal, start the car..." No need to prime the car or hold the throttle open based on temperature....just a reminder of "don't touch anything, the car will sort it out for you."

[@gregorymalchuk272]

Was it the 4 cylinder Iron Duke engine?

[@325xitgrocgetter]

@@gregorymalchuk272 Yes it was, with throttle body fuel injection. Any time we get a mail delivery by a Grumman LLV, I immediately recall the Pontiac. Funny thing was it started no matter how cold it got.

[@excellentlistner5925]

My Mom had a gorgeous 1971 Triple Gold Imperial. I preferred it over both the Cadillac and Lincoln equivalents and still do. It was definitely a finicky starter! To have such a magnificent car was frustrating to say the least. I don’t remember having these instructions to start it but maybe she did. I don’t remember having the “Die-Out” issue. Not related but Several years later on a Hot August day in Texas, my Dad was shopping for a NEW Motor Home. We looked at a product that offered either a GM 454 or a Mopar 440. The Mopar was slightly less expensive. Just in a part of conversation to the sales guy, I said Chryslers can be hard to start, he immediately accepted the challenge and was going to demonstrate that I was wrong. He couldn’t start it. My Dad bought the 454. He never bought another Chrysler product and I never did either.

[@uwtitanfan]

"Hello, I'm Troy McClure. You might remember me from such instructional videos as "Mothballing Your Battleship" and "Dig Your Own Grave, And Save!" Now, over the next six hours, I'll be taking you through the Do's and Do-Not-Do's of foundation repair. Ready?!"

[@Simone-Bucn]

Genius!! 😆

[@walterwright8454]

You win the internet for today and you can pick it up at Morty's office! It is all yours for the next 24 hours. Do with it as you please.

[@HighSierra1500]

Do I need Carbon Fibre Stucco for my foundation repair?

[@uwtitanfan]

@@HighSierra1500 only if you can’t find metal stucco lathe….I swear the simpsons writers must have remembered this film when they wrote that bit

[@rm25088]

ahhh I miss that era of the Simpsons.

[@MichaelShields-b4v]

FYI. General Motors did not merge AC Spark Plug with Delco to form ACDelco until 1974 (for distribution, marketing and sales). So back then AC Spark Plug was their own brand and distribution of their parts they made like filters, fuel pumps, spark plugs, instrument panel gauges, engine sensors, etc…. Hope this helps. Spark plugs are now marketed as AC Delco plugs. Please refer to these great spark plugs as AC (historic) or ACDelco (modern). Thanks. (Proud past AC employee).

[@RareClassicCars]

Thx for that!

[@kbjcda]

The "AC" in AC Spark plugs stands for Albert CHAMPION.

[@Rick-S-6063]

Were you aware that Corvettes in recent years were equipped with NGK spark plugs?

[@gabrielv.4358]

awesome to know

[@josephmazur8778]

If a Chrysler salesman explained all of this to me during a demo, I would run out of the dealership as fast as possible. I can almost still smell those late 70’s Dodge and Plymouth Lean Burn taxis idling in traffic, putting out the most sour smelling exhaust!

[@HighSierra1500]

Then when the Lean Burn System malfunctioned. It became the Piston Burn System.

[@Rick-S-6063]

@@HighSierra1500 I've always said it's much simpler and way cheaper to replace fouled spark plugs and diluted engine oil than it is to replace holed pistons.

[@HighSierra1500]

@@Rick-S-6063 100%

[@grandsonofAlbertJohn]

I started driving at age 14 in the '80s on learners permit, and alone at 14 as well on school permit, 21 miles from h.s. , my father put a later 301 Pontiac in a 1976 Bonneville Brougham. Like all the cars we had, I watched my mother and father turn the key and pump the gas pedal. I had my times early on where I flooded it, and had to put something in to hold the carb open. Even years later our carbureted engines were "temperamental" in my opinion....whatever. I read in one of the car magazines, punch the pedal to floor once, let off completely, wait a second or 2, do the same again(punch the pedal to the floor then let up completely) then crank right after that. Worked like a charm after that👌never failed, started like a fuel injected engine. Wish someone had taught me that trick when I was......well, 12 driving on dirt roads actually 😂. At least it worked on ours. (Just like when my father got older, he finally showed me, after pulling ropes on dozens of small engines, mowers, tillers, etc, I copied him, keep very recent fresh gasoline in a metal squirt oil can, take air filter off, give it a shot of gas, 1 or 2 pulls every time. Sure, it's captain obvious now, but I was like, "dad, why didn't you show me this when I was 8 ?"😁)

[@Greatdome99]

Yeah, but you gotta love the "Highland Park Hummingbird" starter--so sweet.

[@winstonelston5743]

Big deal Watch any late sixties to mid-eighties TV show and you learn that every car from that period regardless of manufacturer used a MOPAR engine with the reduction gear starter. Kokak's Buick, Starsky and Hutch Fords, MacMillan with or without wife Lincoln, Quincy's Matador morgue wagon....

[@josephgaviota]

@@winstonelston5743 💯 true. The sound boys had a "starter" sound, and they used it over and over.

[@winstonelston5743]

@@josephgaviota Studebaker starters always had a distinctive sound. I remember an episode of _Hardcastle and McCormick_ with a '52 Commander Land Cruiser as a guest stunt car and the sound guys used, you guessed it, a MOPAR.

[@nlpnt]

@@winstonelston5743 Even in shows with Ford or GM product placement!

[@patrickshaw8595]

@@winstonelston5743 OHHHhhhhhhh! I get you now - the studios used the same sound clip for every make/model/year - LOL! (Never watched much TV seemed like nothing ever good was on)

[@SjakBrak]

My 73 Imperial ran on propane only. No starting issues ever, regardless of weather, standing still, etc. And also no deteriorating fuel. Regardless of fuel, upgraded ignition and an aftermarket hi-torque starter are very very useful (and reversible) mods on any older Mopar.

[@grandsonofAlbertJohn]

Propane. On a 73 Imperial. Interesting. Til now I only thought propane was a 1980s pickup truck conversion. That was popular for a while , at least around here in the '80s. One guy my father worked with, apparently his propane-powered truck had a leak during the night, he turned the key to start it in the morning and it went "whoof !" His wife stopped eating breakfast, came out to the garage and asked what the hell was that? Pushed out the walls of the garage. That was the end of the propane-powered truck😂

[@billmoran3219]

Well it had a big enough trunk to put the propane tank in it.

[@SjakBrak]

@@grandsonofAlbertJohn Over here, propane is a popular fuel for classic cars. It's in many ways better for the engine, and yes, also safer than gasoline. The car was also very lively on LPG, and especially cold starts were much much easier than on my petrol-classics.

[@SjakBrak]

@@billmoran3219 even with a 120-litre tank, 6 adult sized bodies would fit in the trunk 😁

[@winstonelston5743]

@@SjakBrak With the luggage in the passengers' laps, of course.

[@austinformedude]

I think everyone forgot how difficult it used to be to start these sometimes. People just get in and press a button now LOL

[@chrisjeffries2322]

So true.

[@ABa-os6wm]

No button any more.

[@winstonelston5743]

In my first car the button you pushed was under the clutch pedal.

[@braddietzmusic2429]

Until that button goes bad. And it costs $2,000 to take apart the dash to replace a part that is made of about $2 of material but which actually costs $150 from the dealership.

[@michaeltutty1540]

In extreme cold a carburetor will often start better than fuel injection. The electronics need a bit of warmth to work properly

[@DSP1968]

What a great video clip you've unearthed, Adam! And this would be one of the reasons the '73 cars from most all manufacturers were considered to have drivability problems. But I have to say -- who in the world would remember all of these instructions in the real world?

[@TheWrenchist]

I worked for dodge Chrysler Plymouth. I was a master tech. I remember this. Good times

[@richceglinski7543]

I'm an older mechanic that understands very well ,choke thermostats, choke pulloffs, fast idle settings a the roll each play together in optimum cold start drive ability. I could almost always tweek the adjustments and prevent stalling if you let me have it overnight cold. The one thing I could never fix is to get the darn owner to leave their foot off the accelerator long enough for the fast idle to come up and stabilize before they kick it off the high cam or they rev the engine and volume of incoming air overcomes the thermostat tension and cancels fast idle altogether. In other words like Susie they won't read and follow the directions. I start my 70s cars like this video. If they sit until the carb leaks down I'll give it a second pump if it's not running after 10 seconds of cranking. I'll back out of the shop and never touch the gas.

[@MattsRageFitGarage]

A good rule of thumb I've found over the years it to watch the oil pressure gauge if it has one. by the time the gauge stops climbing it's about time to kick it down off the highest idle position. Easier than guessing and counting seconds I suppose. Works well for all of my carbureted vehicles.

[@65bugnut]

I had a 73 Plymouth satellite with a 318 V-8. One day it wouldn't start, I found out about the ballast resistor that day. I purchased 2, one to repair the car, and one for the glove box.

[@michaelmurphy6869]

All the big three had there quirks their with "electronic ignition" systems back into the 70's. GM with their HEI system, modules would fail, rotors carbon track, Ford had their "brain box" aka motorcraft/EEC 1 the box mounted on the fender could or would fail at anytime. Even though they were pretty reliable. As for Chrysler with the ballast resistor it usually failed when the owner tried to start the car (dual resistor) the starting resistor would "pop" and car won't start. One thing you could do if that happened was turn the key to the on postion and jump the starter from under the hood bypassing the start circuit of the resistor and the car would start after a little bit of cranking. Just don't turn off the car until you got somewhere to repair it (parts house or garage).They were the easiest to diag and repair, with both GM and Ford systems when they failed you were to say "dead in the water". Any veteren Chrysler owner always carried a replacement resistor in their glove box just for that occasion. Just the old days of point ignition, where you kept a set of points and condenser with a small screwdriver and a match book (set the point gap with) in the glove box as well. AMC used a prestolite system which was actually very reliable but if it failed you were in the same boat as GM and Ford but much more expensive to repair.

[@Lousybarber]

The good old days of carbureted engines. My fiancé had an ’82 Chevette that would not start when the temp was getting near zero degrees. My sister had a ’70 LTD with a 351 V8 that would refuse to start when it was damp and cold although I think this was more of an ignition problem. On the other hand the flathead V8 in our ’53 Ford pickup seemed to start regardless of the weather, utilizing the trusty manual choke.

[@misters2837]

I had a 71 Custom 500 with the 351, and that thing (as long as it was in good tune) would start -30°F - I can tell you the #1 problem with those original points Ford Distributors was the UNVENTED caps, they would percolate mousture...I put the Duraspark Adapter ring (gave bigger vented flat cap) on mine, made a HUGE difference.

[@amitamir1413]

My niegbor would have to rev the daylights out of her fury every day

[@amitamir1413]

Did she rev the daylights out of the engine

[@audubon5425]

@Lousybarber I sold an '82 Chevette because it was so temperamental starting below freezing the battery would start draining before it would start. Traded it after six months for an AMC Concord.

[@amitamir1413]

@@Lousybarber my gf use to punish her old buick park ave in the winter by revving the daylights out of the engine with her foot for 10 minutes or more

[@hotpuppy1]

Ah yes, the good old days. These procedures were old hat that you didn't even think about. NOW with the crappy ethanol gas, you have to worry about the carb evaporating totally away after a few days of your classic car sitting. 69 Firebird OHC6 procedure: Crank 5 seconds to fill the carb. Pump pedal twice to get some fuel into the intake and set the choke. Crank to start (usually starts right up). Run at high idle for 10 seconds. Stab the throttle to drop idle down to next notch. Warm up for at least 30 seconds before driving off.

[@grandsonofAlbertJohn]

Good to know. 😁I still want one. (OHC6 Pontiac)

[@Rick-S-6063]

I read in a comment somewhere that with the Pontiac OHC 6 it was a good idea to keep your foot off the accelerator while cranking the starter until the oil light went out or the gauge showed pressure. That was to allow oil to reach the cam and followers/lash adjusters. Once that was established it was time to pump the accelerator a couple of times and start her up.

[@audubon5425]

I must be the only guy in the world who owned a dozen 60s 70s and 80s Chryslers back when they were just used cars and never changed a ballast resistor in his life.

[@TommyLive62]

I had a 1974 Chevelle Estate wagon - a true Brady Bunch car equipped with faux wood siding, yet it had a console and swivel bucket seats. Yes, a boring, but special car. One day I was just sitting in the car waiting for someone to come out of a store. Having nothing to do besides listening to the AM radio, I pulled down the visor and read the engine starting procedure (I never even knew it was there!). Like most people, I really didn't think I needed to learn how to start the car I drove every day, but since I was bored I read it. I don't remember word for word so I'll wing it: "Depress the gas pedal to the floor then release it slowly. With your foot OFF the gas, turn the key". The car started flawlessly, and though the car ran great, after I got into the habit of starting the car that way, I never had to try starting it a second time! A cool car and a cool memory. I bought it used and it was the best running car I ever owned. The previous owner took textbook care of it; it had a stack of oil change stickers on the inside of the glovebox lid, the hoses and belts all said "GM" on them... a great car that was taken care of.

[@rightlanehog3151]

Adam, I remember the general panic in the late 80s and early 90s when carburetors were finally being replaced by fuel injection. Having said that, I am confident every other auto related panic in the subsequent decades is thoroughly justified. 😂

[@grandsonofAlbertJohn]

In my humble opinion, a lot of the guys that felt that way about the transition, was because they figured they wouldn't be able to fix the cars themselves anymore, they would have to spend money having their cars fixed at the shop. Not only that, I'll go a step further my father was born in 1937, rebuilt engines, transfer case, just about anything on a car/truck/tractor, a damn good shadetree mechanic. Our family continued to drive 1970s Pontiacs through all of the 1980s eventually caving and buying an '88 Bonneville in 1992. During the '80s, and later, I could look back and realize he completely avoided the electronic feedback carburetors, I think it was pretty clear he wanted nothing to do with those. I watched a few videos, and read comments from GM mechanics of the era, yeah, I think at least for my father specifically, avoiding those was justified 😁

[@adamtrombino106]

I recall as a very young child my mother could never get our 76 Cordoba 400 4bbl started when it was cold. I recall that it had detailed instructions under the sun visor on what to do during certain starting or no start conditions. ( My 79300 has these instructions too ) Well, they apparently didn't work or the carb was fubr. Dad or grandpa would have to come out and 'save her'. Pedal to the mat and crank away, then feather the throttle until it stayed running. Then too, we had an old lady for a neighbor with a 73 Valiant sedan with the 225. Either she knew what she was doing or that car was super tuned. In below zero Chicago winters, that was a 1 revolution crank to life car. I ended up buying that car when she passed away many yrs later. Indeed, that thing ALWAYS started and was smooth. Once to the floor and release. Warm or hot soak, just turn the key. I never touched the ignition or carb in the 3 yrs I had it cuz don't fix what ain't broke. Sadly, a car accident took it out. ( that 73 did have factory electronic ign but I don't know what plugs were in it)

[@marckyle5895]

I remember having summer and winter settings on the choke that had to be changed or it wouldn't stay running in the winter. Turning a round cover changed the tension on a temperature sensitive spring inside. You had to do this when the engine was stone cold so the spring would be the temperature of the morning air that day.

[@Blanchy10]

When I was about 12 we had a Mazda 1500 I live in Australia. Nearly every morning I'd have to start it for my mother. It was cantankerous!

[@perpetualgrin5804]

I think this car had an air cleaner than ran in 2 positions, summer and winter.

[@donmoore7785]

My dad had a '74 Mazda Rx 3. Manual choke.

[@brianbeswick3646]

Adam Thank you so much for playing that video. I have a 1980 Chrysler Newport with a slant six that I bought a year ago and it has always given me a hard time cold starting. I took it to my mechanic and when I got it back it still was hard to cold start. Even though he assured me that it would start first time. I watched the this video on how to cold start a 2973 Chrysler and tried it on my 1980 Newport. Now it starts on the second try which is a great improvement over what it was before. Thank you again.

[@bullnukeoldman3794]

I watched this, gritted my teeth, and went to get a drink as the memories came flooding back...

[@michaelmihalis9057]

Adam, I liked the extended sound of the Highland Park hummingbird during the video.Mike the Greek

[@Vegaswill714]

Two comments: 1) I remember in the early 70's, starting my neighbors cars for them after they were flooded. The tell-tale was that you could smell gasoline as you approached the car. They thought I was a genius! 2) I also remember having to tweak the engine tune every 5000 miles or so, otherwise the cars would become finicky. The worst was that they would stall or hesitate when accelerating while the engine was warming up. Could be downright dangerous.

[@JosephStalin1941]

How did you adjust the carburetor settings? My '66 Pontiac Catalina often likes to die just as it's getting warm.

[@Vegaswill714]

@@JosephStalin1941 It's a bit like tuning a musical instrument, you must develop a feel for it. You need to get a good set of spark plugs and get the timing and point gap correct before playing with the carb. Then adjust the idle mixture screws, I'm sure there are videos on how to do that. Finally you can adjust the rate at which the automatic choke opens when warming up and the fast idle speed. Sounds like that may be where your problem lies.

[@sodiebergh]

Love this video, thank you, Adam! The soundtrack of my childhood was my father fighting to get, and keep, our '69 Dodge Dart Slant Six started. I know that was before emissions, but it drove him mad. Core memory of there being flames coming from the carburetor once, when he was having a particularly bad time😂🔥

[@soaringvulture]

No, '69 was the start of emissions control and they had real amateurs working on that. I had a '64 Valiant with a slant six and there was no way that car wouldn't start, even at 30 below zero after I dug it out from the snow. I guess those idiots were able to keep a slant six from running but it couldn't have been easy.

[@j.kevvideoproductions.6463]

My Dad had a '76 Dart. It would start easily enough, but would often stall when hot. Sometimes in the middle of a turn. Really prone to vapor lock.

[@HelpingHand-ic4wt]

@@j.kevvideoproductions.6463 I'm sorry that it's probably years too late but I suspect that was an issue with the float in the carb. I believe the problem was due to oxygenated gas. They started bonding the two halves of the float with a glue instead of soldering them around that time. I believe the alcohol seeped in past the glue. I've had 2 Carters on late 70s slant 6s that had floats that leaked, sinking it in the bowl which allowed the stopper to remain open. They eventually would flow gas out all over, they would crank forever when the engine was hot, and could be a little sensitive while driving. I switched out the floats for soldered ones and never had a problem since.

[@gregbashara1007]

I had 2 1973 Dodge Polaras and never had a problem starting my cars. I did have to change a ballast resistor on my 1968 Chrysler.

[@TaylorZ2]

My dad worked for Chrysler and told me in the seventies, some carbs were so lean that under specific conditions when the driver went to accelerate from a stop the car would stall. The mechanics would drill out the carb jets to overcome this problem. Sad that the cars came from the factory that way but I understand governmental regulations that had to be met.

[@soaringvulture]

Drilling the jets (I remember doing a lot of that in the past) is bound to screw up the emissions. Of course, it makes the car run better but that's not what we're trying to do.

[@desertmodern7638]

The only Mopar I ever owned, albeit very briefly, and my only hard-starting car, was a 1972 Duster with the 225 Slant Six. It was a real trial until I figured out the correct procedure, and then it was fine, but I don't think the anxiety of the experience entirely went away until the car did. My GM cars of the era were always quite well behaved in this regard. My parents had some big-engined Fords that were hard-starters as well.

[@lvsqcsl]

The first car I had with EFI was a 1987 Mercury Grand Marquis coupe and a 1987 Lincoln Mark VII. Before that, I had a 1979 Ford LTD coupe with the 7200 VV carburetor. I replaced the 7200 VV with a 2100 and that car ran good after that. Those 2 1987 models were like flipping on a light switch and I still enjoy that today.

[@bretz71]

👍🏼 Those Motorcraft "variable venturi" carbs were the biggest pieces of crap ever forced on the driving public! 🤬

[@lvsqcsl]

@@bretz71 MIne was O.K. until about 100,000 miles, then it was just trouble!

[@TheZl9000]

I owned one of these turds in the 70s when I lived in New Hampshire. In the winter cold starts the engine would kick back and destroy the reduction gear in the starter. Then I get to do a starter swap when it's 20 below. To this day when I hear a chrysler starter I get PTSD and flashbacks. Swore off Mopar for life !

[@soaringvulture]

Oh, that's gotta hurt!

[@stevevogelman3360]

Ahhh the good ole days, I remember them well.

[@bc5441]

Thanks, Adam-there are so many ways to react! I remember the sound of the Chrysler ignition. These procedures are like the amount of trouble it can be to start a two-cycle lawn mower or snow thrower at the beginning of the season. It’s a good thing correct body parts are referenced, e.g., hold the pedal down with your foot. Otherwise many drivers would have reached under the dash to press the ignition with their hands. With all the specific temperature and timing instructions given, it’s too bad this was from an era when few if any cars had a thermometer, even as optional equipment (except for maybe New Yorkers and Imperials). Did any cars have a second hand on the clock (assuming there was a clock) for timing how long to wait before moving to the next step? If we had all known about needing to wait before putting our Chryslers in gear we would have taken the time to undo the shoulder belts from over the window. The way the ads cut in is perfect: “Basic starting procedures can be summarized like this:. …watch what carrots do to your dog…” 😂

[@Tremontvolleyball]

This is the first time I’ve heard anyone explain how to start a carbureted vehicle. Never had starting problems with my 429 Torino with the Rochester carburetor.

[@soaringvulture]

A Torino with a Rochester? How do you do that?

[@Tremontvolleyball]

@@soaringvulture 429 Cobra Jet hydraulic lifters, car came with it from the factory

[@michaelsullivan2361]

I was into snowmobiling back then. A group of us would take trips up to northern NY, where morning temp could be well below zero. Getting the trucks started on some of those mornings could be challenging. The Fords with the Autolite 2100 ALWAYS started. The GMs would usually start after a lot of cranking. Then it was the simple act of moving the Fords and Chevys into position to jump start the Mopars.

[@donmoore7785]

lol funny story. I sledded in the mid 80's in central NY. Fun times.

[@DUCKSAREEVILLLLLLLL]

I had a 1974 318 V8 Dodge Coronet and it always started with one pedal push to the floor, except in single digit or below zero weather I pressed the pedal up to 3 times. The car was in storage for over a decade but it had something like 38,000 miles on it. I actually did read the manual but I don't remember seeing anything odd about the starting procedure. Having owned many old carbureted cars, the only thing odd for me was how it almost always started and idled great after just one push to the floor, summer and winter. If the car was warm, I just turned the key. My guess is that dealers had to deal with a lot of people who flooded the car because they didn't read the manual.

[@chrisbreault5854]

I never had too much trouble with any of my Dodge trucks. A properly working choke, and perfectly adjusted chike pull off were suoer important especially in cold weather. My 77 power wagon would start easily in the dead of winter even after sitting for weeks. It also had the "chrome" ecu and an msd coil. My 82 w350 usually needs a couple of long cranks after sitting just to get the thermoquad filled up, but i dont pump the pedal after setting the choke. It goes to high idle without any drama. However i have had issues with hot starting at times.

[@pookatim]

It wasn't just MOPAR. All brands had this issue. Especially annoying, was the "fast idle" cam feature. You would depress the pedal then release and that would close the choke and provide a very high idle. Then you "tap" the accelerator and that would release the choke and go to a secondary fast idle. The problem was, if you then drive the car and step on the gas more than half way, the fast idle will be lost and if you stop, the engine would stall out. What they were doing their best not to tell you, is the best way use these cars was to let them idle a long time and not try to drive them too soon after starting. The say "20 seconds" but it is really more like one or two minutes. Only then would you have confidence that you wouldn't stall out and have to wrestle with it again. It was this way with Ford, too. GM cars were a little easier but it was still best not to try to drive them immediately after start up.

[@roberta2540]

My dad taught me when starting his old F-100 to wait for the temp needle to lift off the lower peg before tapping the accelerator. Worked every time.

[@sgnt9337]

This was hilarious. We're fortunate today! This narrator pretty much left me at the bakery on this explanation. I can only imagine people today when faced with this process.

[@bobs4486]

I always said nobody could steal my 1971 Charger 440 sixpack because only I could start it. Cold start was push the gas pedal three times to the floor and then hold pedal half way down and then crank the ignition. If it stalls repeat the procedure. Don't worry about flooding the engine, you can't. Warm start was just hold the gas pedal half way down. Good memories!

[@ChillkootMarkowee]

My 1980 Dodge B300 MaxiVan 360HD 4bbl is the exact same!

[@johnandrus3901]

Interesting. Some of those procedures applied to virtually all cars with carburetors. I inherited my parents 71 Galaxie, with a Windsor 351 and it always started hard, in cold weather. Fuel injection sure cured those problems.

[@tombrown1898]

Susie should have called Rocky, the maintenance man for the first apartment building I lived in after college. We had a really bad winter in Ohio in 1976-77, but Rocky's New Yorker never missed a beat. As he said more than once, "Chrysler is the onliest car you can depend on!"

[@guylr7390]

I learned early about not to pump the throttle when cold so my Mopars usually started fine then but it was hot weather starts on modern fuel later that caused trouble with percolation. Now I have to take issue with you on the statement that Champions were cheap plugs and caused hard starts. If anything I had more problems with Autolites while the specified Champions were just fine in my Slant 6s and LA 273 V8. Never really used many ACs but they seemed okay too. One trouble I did encounter was moisture in the original distributor caps that caused ignition issues but later caps didn’t. In all my several Mopars I only had one ballast resistor failure but yes it did happen.

[@soaringvulture]

As I vaguely recall, in the '60s I used Champion plugs. I don't remember what came from the factory on Mopars. And the only ballast resistor problem I ever had with with a '70's Jeep with a Buick V6. It kept trying to start with the ballast resistor in series with the coil so I had to put a cutout switch in there to let me start.

[@Mr_Chris77]

My 84 Monte Carlo was a pain in the ass to start. Pump the gas, but not too much. Hold it down if flooded. So glad modern cars have this figured out.

[@RichardinNC1]

My 1975 Cordoba didn't have a starting problem (or at least not significant enough to remember), however it did stumble and hate to accelerate when cold. Even after a carb rebuild. Fortunately in NC it wasn't too bad but my sister hated the car in the cold WV winters.

[@Rick-S-6063]

Be glad it was a '75 and didn't have the Lean Burn system that came with the '76s. ;)

[@torreykirkland7243]

I Still have my 1977 Doba # mint condition. 360 NO lean Burn was included with this particular model # GREATFUL

[@Rick-S-6063]

@@torreykirkland7243 I'd be g-r-a-t-e-f-u-l, too. ;)

[@BenLapke]

My dad had a ‘75 Ford Elite and on cold nights we would have to start the car in the middle of the night, otherwise it wouldn’t start in the morning. I also remember spraying starter fluid in the carburetor to start the engine on really cold days.

[@robsonbrito1707]

Starting a Saturn rocket seems easier than starting a 1970s Chrysler. But other than that, I'd like to watch a cartoon featuring Mr. Carburetor and his friends.

[@jetsons101]

We have a 68 Dodge Super Bee, a 65 Shelby and a 65 El Camino and they all start "almost" just as EZ as a new car -- they all still have point distributors. Thanks to Adam for another fine watch............... Oh, and I would be more than happy to have a 73 Mopar.

[@8avexp]

The only emission control device they had was a PCV valve.

[@jetsons101]

@@8avexp That's why our "collector cars" are all 70 or under. We just change the valve seats for unleaded gas.

[@8avexp]

@@jetsons101 I'm pretty sure my '69 AMX was upgraded for unleaded gas. I borescoped the #1 cylinder and the piston is definitely not a factory stock piston. I also think it may have a mild cam.

[@jetsons101]

@@8avexp AHHH........ I wish I kept my 69 AMX. It was a 390/4speed Go Pac. AMX's are such fun cars, what we did was add a quart of ATF with every full tank of gas to make up for the missing lead. It seemed to work as I drive the car like that for YEARS. Do you still have your AMX, or did you make the same mistake as me and sell it??????? lol

[@8avexp]

@@jetsons101 I bought mine back in 2019. 390, 4-speed, Go-package. I'd dreamed of getting my hands on one for decades. We had several AMCs when I was growing up, so I knew about the AMX. I'm hanging on to mine. It's a keeper!

[@Flies2FLL]

Interesting fact: On modern Porsche cars, you have to have your foot on the brake to start the car. Not put it into gear, to start the car. This is to test the brakes, due to an incident that Dr. Ferdinand Porsche had when he was young when the brakes failed on a car. I owned an '85 Porsche 928S2 5 speed for two decades, and you had a light on the dashboard that would not go out until you touched the brakes and brake pressure was sensed, but on that car you could start the engine without your foot pressing the brake pedal. My airport car is an '01 Subaru Outback, and you can start it with the brake pedal untouched, and invariably when I sit down in the car and turn the key I feel the brake pedal move under my foot as vacuum moves the brake booster. "Dammit, I know better!".

[@BakerStudiosIndy]

Funny thing... Ballast resistors were available at every hardware store, auto parts store, and even "five and dime" stores in those days. But oddly enough, I never had to replace a ballast resistor on any of my many Mopars. I never had one fail to start, and the most reliable cars I ever owned were my '71 Sport Fury (318), '73 Satellite (318), '74 Fury Gran Sedan (400), and '75 Cordoba (360). Every one of them started first time, every time, year round... Even in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin winters.

[@dalekoster9955]

I had a 73 Gran Fury Brougham with the 400 2 bbl in 2020. Not driving a carburetor car in 20 years, I had to relearn this procedure. Drove it about once a week. My big issue was the accelerator pump that never worked properly causing a stall even after running for a few minutes to warm up. Frustrating to be sure.

[@jeffreyrich6494]

My parents had a new 1973 Ford Maverick. It had constant stalling problems that the dealer could do nothing to fix. Apparently it wasn't just that car that had those issues. Very interesting video!

[@turbofanlover]

Lookin' good, Suzie. ;)

[@donmoore7785]

Imagine trying to explain to Suzie what is in the video. Bwa ha ha.

[@cbrider58]

Learned to drive in a ‘73 Dodge Polara w/360. Quite the gutless engine at the time. Suffered through the ballast resistor issue and also the fast idle. Went through a few sets of u-joints due to shifting into gear while on high idle since it would stick and not release until the car was fully warmed up which took a few minutes. Ah!, memories of the early days of emission controls. We have come so far since then. I would say that 73-74 were probably the worst years for most manufacturers. I actually had this car until 1993 and by then, it actually ran pretty well without all of the early issues. I guess it took over 100,000 miles to fully break in, lol. Finally junked it at 156,000 due to the body totally rusting out.

[@Rick-S-6063]

The introduction of catalytic converters and electronic ignition systems helped improve drivability, but (I never thought I'd ever say this) computer controls and all the sensors really did wonders for drivability and extended powertrain lifespans.

[@billbraun6846]

Brought back a lot of memory's. I remember the standard procedure after we did a carb overhaul in the 1980's was to pump the pedal twice and then let off the pedal. This was in California weather. Usually it worked well. Pumping the pedal more than twice could end up with a flooded condition.

[@stevenschnelz6944]

In '78 I had a '72 four-door dart sport with a 318 and three on a tree. I never had starting issues but those things were second nature back then. That's just how you did it.

[@charleshettrick2408]

I inferred all in the video from rebuilding the carb on my 1976 D100 truck I bought and rebuilt in the summer of 1981. Techniques really helped in that winter during the blizzard when it got to -20F. Never had a problem with the resistor. Always used AC sparks. HUGE problem with slush splashing on the distributor and immediately cancelling operation. No problem with rain or humidity. But slush was end of the line.

[@jbuchana]

I coated the outside of the distributer cap with dielectric grease before insering the wires, and did the same with the spark plug insulators and coil tower. Then I rubbed dielectric grease on the outside of the wires. I used to show off how the engine wouldn't hiccup with a garden hose aimed at the ignition. The grease did collect dirt, a problem if you were trying to keep a nice looking engine.

[@HelpingHand-ic4wt]

the real problem was when we started using alcohol gas. Some floats are bonded together, not soldered. The bonding glue seems to leak alcohol. I have had a couple of Carter BBDs with soggy floats with long crank times. I switched to a soldered float and all was well.

[@billmoran3219]

Drilled out many of the plugs to get to air fuel mixture screws on the later Quadra jet carburetors. There were some later Motorcraft carbs that you also had to, if I remember right those were epoxied plugged. Use to do business with a mechanic who on the side would rebushing the throttle plate shafts . He made more money at doing that than he made at his wages job at a high end specialty automotive repair shop.

[@WilSan-oj8ln]

We had a 74 Duster with the Slant 6 which was a very poor runner in cold weather until the engine had warmed up. The Choke had an electric heater on it to help kick the choke out sooner for “emissions”. Simply disconnecting the wire to the choke heater made it much better.

[@josephwash109]

This is basically the same starting procedure for GM cars of the era. However, GM put a decal on the sunvisor where it was easy to find the information.

[@budlanctot3060]

@josephwash109 Chryslers had it, too, but still few ever read it. I once tried to take that "decal" off of the visor, impossible. However they attached that thing, it was NOT coming off without destroying the vinyl covering on the visor.

[@compu85]

I remember when I first saw this film, my take away was that these cars must've barely run in factory tube.

[@jimkanellakos4699]

Adam, i almost forgot about pumping the pedal partway in cold weather. This was common on the carburated GMs of the 70s and 80s. For some weird reason, I'd still pump the gas pedal on cold morning starts in the 90s on a Caddy with EFI. It seemed like priming the gas pedal still helped.

[@Carstuff111]

Ok, I seriously want to thank you for posting this. I love seeing old training videos, gives me a chance to see how things have changed between then and when I was a technician around 2015. Granted, I worked on (shudder) Volkswagens, but it is all easy enough to generalize. And I know GM and Ford had similar materials out at this time too because this was all such a new thing. I know that as I had my friend's 1986 Dodge Ramcharger 4x4 4 speed manual tuned with its Edelbrock carburetor and intake manifold, as well as a HEI style aftermarket ignition system, if there was fuel in the bowl, hot or cold, he could pump the pedal two-three times and hit the key, the truck just fired up. Going with a the HEI style ignition and bypassing that ballast resistor was a nice upgrade. But that is the key thing that he and I are both used to, with aftermarket carbs. He has never driven a car with a working, stock tuned smog era carburetor, and its a rare thing for me. He had never known that a carburetor of any kind could run and drive as well as I got his 318 running either. Now his Ramcharger is getting upgraded to a 5.7 Hemi and possibly a 6 speed manual. I am sad he ended up selling the 440 he bought. He had the short block ready, but the heads he wanted sky rocketed in price, throwing off all of his plans for his build. So, now its a freshly rebuilt 5.7 Hemi with the cylinder deactivation garbage locked out being dropped in after he sold the 440 short block for more than he expected out of it.

[@josephgaviota]

And, we never even got into vapor lock.

[@nickpalazzi2121]

My service truck is a 1980 dodge w400 with a 360. All the emmissions stuff has been taken off, edlebrock intake and carb with manual choke. This video explains all the quirks about it and makes me smile.

[@scottymoondogjakubin4766]

My fathers 72 dodge demon was notorious for vapor lock after a hot soak on a hot summers day ! We just eventually dealt with it but it sucked when we were always late to be somewhere !

[@georgewetzel4380]

Interesting. I had a 72 318 and a 74 360; both started and ran flawlessly in all weather conditions.

[@peashooterc9475]

It would get worse before it got better. Adjust idle carefully following the propane enrichment procedure. WHEN the customer comes back with stalling complaints, increase idle speed. WHEN the customer comes back with dieseling complaints, decrease the idle speed, richen the mixture. WHEN the customer comes back with acceleration complaints because the catalytic converter melted, wave a magic wand over it and hope the customer goes somewhere else. Maybe back to the dealer for a car with the "Lean Burn" system. Oh the humanity.

[@danscott3880]

That Humminbird starter

[@mattquinley2134]

My father had a 1978 Dodge 3/4 ton with the Sno-Commander package. Full time 4x4, straight front axle, 360 2 bbl, 4 speed manual with crawler 1st. The day after he brought it home, the starter clutch froze and he had to crawl under the truck in the snow to whack the starter a few times to free it up. After that it was fine, but the carb mixture and choke controls never worked right. He replaced the auto choke with a manual one, but that engine remained the most cold-blooded thing I ever drove. Once you got it started on a winter day, it absolutely would not idle until it got at least partially warm, which took at least 5 minutes of running. You could hear it happen - off throttle you could hear the air being sucked through the carb. If it didn't sound like a vacuum cleaner, it was guaranteed to stall. I learned to heel-and-toe the brake and throttle to keep it running at all the stop signs between home and high school.

[@brianhalberry]

Reminds me of the old story about poor starting In cold weather: I came out of the grocery store on a warm summer day and got in my 73 Dodge. After a few attempts with extended cranking it still wouldn't start. Looking up I quickly identified the problem. Rolling down the window, I stuck my head out the window and told the kid eating the ice cream to move away from the front of my car.

[@NorthernChev]

Oh my goodness. They warn against "running the starter for more than a minute at a time. I can't even imagine cranking any car for an entire minute before letting off the key. That's crazy. I remember having these issues back then, but I'd never crank ANYTHING mechanical for an entire minute before letting off. That's starter (and battery) suicide.

[@rogerhinman5427]

The colors remind me of the Harvest Gold paint scheme my mom painted the kitchen after we got a Harvest Gold refrigerator in 1972. PTSD now...

[@kroge007]

This brings back memories!!

[@nhzxboi]

When temperature and humidity is just right(40 degF or so and wet), my 360 2bbl would ice up and flood out even with the heat stove working. Very frustrating. Just gotta have patience.

[@centralcoastbuc161]

Most young people today would not be able to start these cars!

[@testiculardestruction]

Most young people today can't even tie their shoes.

[@soaringvulture]

Or tell the time on the clocks.

[@patrickancona1193]

I remember the two most popular fixes for dodge’ ness in the 70’s was 1 trade that pos in or C slap a Ford ignition in after tearing all that smog bs off including the hydrotardded carb

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

I would rather deal with carburetors and points ignition than all the sensors and modules in modern vehicles.

[@soaringvulture]

I am so glad to be rid of carburetors. I have rebuilt more 1,2 and 4 barrel carbs than I want to remember. Not counting the Dell'Orto's on my Ducati. And points, for that matter. I've changed more points (including Lucas!) than anyone should be forced to do. Give me sensors. Give me modules. Give me an oscilloscope and I can make them work.

[@Rick-S-6063]

Carburetors aren't too bad to deal with, but there's an old saying that 90 percent of your carburetion problems originate in the distributor. That's why I've done several conversions of Delco "window" distributors from points and condensers to Mallory Unilite electronic ignitions over the years. It eliminated the need to replace and adjust points or wait for the condenser to fail and burn out the points. Not only that, the Unilite modules aren't affected by moisture, nor do they allow dwell and timing variations. I don't mind carburetors, but I can live without points and condensers.

[@Normanx964]

@@Rick-S-6063 NOS Condensers for points ignition are aging fast. Replacements are not doing well either.

[@JoelHacker]

I would be used to it. My dad had two of them, and my grandpa always had Chrysler vehicles. Yes, they were finicky! Even though I wasn't of driving age, I got good at starting them. I remember our church borrowed our '77 Dodge van and it was 6 years old. My dad had a manual choke installed on it. They didn't know how to properly start it. They had the damn thing so flooded, it backfired several times! Finally they let me try it. I had it started in a minute or so! I had been watching my grandpa mess with his Chryslers, so I mastered it!

[@brianhdueck3372]

Oh how well I recall these cold start years. Mopars were the only ones that I had trouble flooding and it took me a few cold starts till I had these figured out.

[@keepyourbilsteins]

Great blast from the past! A friend was driving my Porsche 914 back from a rally a couple years ago while i was helping get a broken down 911 going. It was late, and they stopped for the night to get a hotel. The next morning he called and said my car wouldn't start! He had never driven a carburetorated car before, muchless one with 48IDF Webers with no chokes! 😂 Didn't know there guys my age (50+) that didn't know carbs. Yes, he still gets shit for that.

[@soaringvulture]

Yeah but how do you start a carbureted car with no choke? Keep pumping the gas pedal?

[@keepyourbilsteins]

@soaringvulture you start it by giving the accelerator pumps a couple squirts with the gas pedal. You keep it running with the gas pedal until it will idle on its own.

[@kerrybloxham7741]

Those. Were the good old days when you are really connected to your car these days it’s just too easy thanks for sharing.

[@sdmoparmaninsd6713]

I have a good story relating to this. My buddy is an old mopar or no car fan. Every morning his next door neighbor was out there trying to start their duster or something... Pumping the crap out of the pedal and cranking it forever. One morning my buddy gets tired of it, walks over there before they tried to start it, tells them to let him show them something, pumps it once, lets it go and starts it right up. They were flabbergasted :P After that no more crank crank crank, he would just hear the car fire right up :P

[@budlanctot3060]

@sdmoparmaninsd6713 yup, 50 years ago, my old neighbor across the street from me, Mr Webster(?) used to do that to his Dodge Dart, about that vintage. I'd hear him come out, hawk-up a big loogee, spit it out, then climb into his car, and do a war-dance on the accelerator: "sqeaka-squeaka-squeaka-squeaka", then grind on that distinctive Chrysler gear reduction starter for about 10 or 15 seconds before it might start. He did this for at least 4 years, nearly every morning, until I moved. I refused to tell him how to start it correctly because his battle-axe of a wife turned me into the city for working on too many cars in my driveway.

[@Chris_Troxler]

Hey, Adam, you mentioned in your Chrysler Imperial video from a few weeks ago that you would be interested in one of those Imperials from the early 80's. We'll, there one sitting in a lot in Lillington, NC. I believe it's C and J (or C and S) Auto Sales. It was still there when I drove by it last weekend.

[@velladune1]

I owned a 73 Newport and never had a problem starting the car in any condition. I never knew about this starting procedure. The Newport was stock, and I started it like all the other old cars I owned. Maybe it was close enough.

[@jeffsmith846]

I never knew any issue with Champion plugs. Back in the 70's I used them in my cars. 390 ford engines and 430 Lincoln engines. I do not recall any problems with them.

[@philspear73]

This really brings back memories, my first couple of cars were carbureted so definitely had to finesse things.

[@TheJstewart2010]

The instructions for pushing the pedal to the floor, releasing, starting and kicking it down to normal idle were exactly the instructions my Dad gave me when I inherited the family 1972 Olds Delta 88.