>Dan Ray writes:
>How do all you Northern folks do it? I suppose a garage would help, hmm?
>What are the tricks for starting in cold weather? Or should I just be
>patient and wait until it gets above freezing?
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Dan, in my youth, when I owned my first LBCs, they were my only cars. The
Sunbeam Alpine was a '63 and that was my first car, in '67. My Triumph TR4A
was a '67 that I bought in '69, so it was still fairly new. Both of these
cars always started for me, no matter what the temp. (Didn't have a garage
then.) I don't think that the fact that they were newer cars had anything to
do with it. Most of our listers keep their cars in better shape than I did
back then.
As long as the battery is strong, all the electrical connections are clean and
tight (including the ground wire from the block), and the car is in a good
state of tune (good plugs and wires, ignition timing and carb are set), it
should start. Choke should be working correctly, too. The viscosity of the
oil also will play a part if it's really cold, but we had fewer choices in the
'60s, and no synthetics.
My new purchase, a '77 Midget, isn't running yet. A look at the starter
solenoid shows that the connections were loose (probably for many years) and
it is shot. The rubber boots are melted and the high amperage terminals are
rusty. (That's how you tell.) If you have this kind of symptom, FIX IT!
Your LBC should start every time.
Check all the stuff I listed. It's not always a fuel related problem. Don't
overlook that ground from the engine block. That has caused me problems more
than once.
Allen Hefner
'77 Midget
'92 Mitsubishi Expo LRV Sport (also starts every time)
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