67fish383S
Well-Known Member
I am a week into owning a '67 Barracuda FB S 383 4 speed and I've already had a couple of muscle car moments - the kind they warn you about when attempting to daily drive one of these beauties. I have not had a chance to troubleshoot yet, but the symptom seems pretty unique, so I'm looking for ideas on where to start. I know it is not a battery/charging issue. And probably not a starter problem. With the exception of these two events, she has started easily every time and runs like a top.
Yesterday at the pump after filling up, I turn the key and...nothing. No accessory power, just dead. I turned the key back and forth a few times, take a breath, and she fires right up. I assume it is just some funkiness with the ignition switch, that may or may not be an idiosyncrasy with this car that I'm just not used to yet, but probably not a huge concern.
Cut to this morning (technically the middle of the night). I'm driving to work (about a 40 mile trip one way) and about half way here, I am approaching a red light. I had just finished downshifting and I'm coasting up to the light. She goes completely dark. I mean 3:30 am at a rural intersection in the middle of nowhere dark. I have a huge truck approaching from behind. I'm frantically waving my arm out the window, as the light is now green and I just want to avoid being plowed into. The truck goes around and I hop out and start pushing her backward, trying to get her off to the (basically nonexistent) right shoulder from the center turn lane. After about ten feet or so of trying to push and guide her (with manual steering), I notice the interior lights have come back on. I hop back in with her diagonally across the three lanes, and she fires right up. At that point I made the (probably stupid) decision to continue on to work instead of turning around.
She ran fine the rest of the way. It seems like an intermittent connection somewhere in the main power feed. Does not seem to be a problem with charging or battery capacity. The original D-to-C meter runs right where it should. Hoping someone out there may have had experience with similar behavior and have some ideas of where to start chasing this gremlin down.
Sorry if the above was a bit dramatic and/or verbose. I am a little hopped up on goof balls right now. Happy Monday!
Yesterday at the pump after filling up, I turn the key and...nothing. No accessory power, just dead. I turned the key back and forth a few times, take a breath, and she fires right up. I assume it is just some funkiness with the ignition switch, that may or may not be an idiosyncrasy with this car that I'm just not used to yet, but probably not a huge concern.
Cut to this morning (technically the middle of the night). I'm driving to work (about a 40 mile trip one way) and about half way here, I am approaching a red light. I had just finished downshifting and I'm coasting up to the light. She goes completely dark. I mean 3:30 am at a rural intersection in the middle of nowhere dark. I have a huge truck approaching from behind. I'm frantically waving my arm out the window, as the light is now green and I just want to avoid being plowed into. The truck goes around and I hop out and start pushing her backward, trying to get her off to the (basically nonexistent) right shoulder from the center turn lane. After about ten feet or so of trying to push and guide her (with manual steering), I notice the interior lights have come back on. I hop back in with her diagonally across the three lanes, and she fires right up. At that point I made the (probably stupid) decision to continue on to work instead of turning around.
She ran fine the rest of the way. It seems like an intermittent connection somewhere in the main power feed. Does not seem to be a problem with charging or battery capacity. The original D-to-C meter runs right where it should. Hoping someone out there may have had experience with similar behavior and have some ideas of where to start chasing this gremlin down.
Sorry if the above was a bit dramatic and/or verbose. I am a little hopped up on goof balls right now. Happy Monday!