One other thing you may want to check - as battery cables get older,
they develop internal 
resistance - so do starter motors. Typically, the resistance goes up
when they get hot, too. 
The way it doesn't like to start, and dies inexplicably could well be a
failing battery - but I 
think that old cables and the corrosion you later described around the
alternator connection
can lead to battery death, too. 
Battery cables (just replaced 'em on the bugeye this w/e myself) are
cheap, and you might 
be surprised how much poop they put back into your starting circuit. 
JZ
> Bad news:
> 
> Took the Midget for a test spin to check out the suspension work.
> Still
> pulls to the left, but a bigger problem looms.  A little hard to start
> with
> big starter kick out on second crank.  Got it run - pretty rough.  On
> full
> choke, smelled gas fumes more than usual it seemed, but they appeared
> to
> dissipate after a minute or so.  Drove just over a mile and the engine
> lost
> power and cut out completely.  Pulled into a Wendy's.  First no turn
> over
> or click at all.  Then engine barely did one turn - this is like my
> ongoing
> starter problem which I was going to look into after the suspension.
> Guess
> what?  It's after the suspension and it's forcing me to look at it.
> :)
> Anwyay, pushed the car up the hill, got a runnning start and got it
> started
> popping the clutch in second gear.  Got maybe half way home and the
> engine
> died again.  Pulled over.  Luckily close to home so I hoofed it back
> to the
> homestead.
> 
 
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