I have an electrical problem with my 68 Viva GT. It's in standard trim - 1975cc OHC engine with twin Strombies etc.
Nineteen times out of twenty, turning the ignition key results in a 'click' from the starter solenoid as it tries to engage, accompanied by a big voltage drop showing on the ammeter. On the twentieth try the engine turns over OK and coughs into life, but runs very roughly, sometimes only firing on two or three cylinders and then dying under any sort of load when firing on all four.
I have found the starter 'fault' can be lessened by jump starting from another vehicle - ie more likely to get it to turnover - but not always.
So far I have eliminated -
1) Battery - replaced with new 55 Amp / hour unit
2) Starter & solenoid - checked and changed with a known good one from my other GT - symptoms exactly the same
3) Earths - I have checked and cleaned all battery / starter / solenoid / alternator / coil connections and earths
4) Charging - the alternator seems to be charging. Again all connections checked / cleaned and secured
5) Coil - believing the rough running and apparent starter solenoid failure to be two different issues, I changed the coil for new Lucas non-ballasted 'sports' coil. The car had been fitted with a 'cold start' coil but apparently without a ballast resistor (I don't think it would have had a ballast wire in the loom in 68) -again no difference to rough running symptoms. Points gap checked and ignition timing checked OK
I'm scratching my head now and wondering whether I might have a short somewhere between starter, ignition switch and coil.
I'm mightily fed up about this because it means I'm not now going to able to drive my Viva GT to Billing
Any help anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks