non-running '65 spider - help?

["Jack Chesley" <Jwchesley@domain.elided>]

    Well, I spent a couple hours this weekend trying to help a friend get =
his '65 spider started.  The car was apparently running last fall, but =
breaking up at higher revs, so he tried to install an electronic distributo=
r and never got the car started after that.  Car has new wires, points, =
plugs, coil.
    We:
- - replaced the old bosch points distributor (since the leads had been =
reversed and we suspected the new one may have been fried)
- - double checked that the offset dist drive was in correctly
- - set the static timing at P
- - double checked the new plug wires went to 1-3-4-2 plugs
- - triple checked that spark @ #1 plug was occuring at the timing marks =
(when cranking)
- - checked the compression - 155-170 psi - not too bad a spread, but then =
the engine was rebuilt a few years ago

Then Victoria brought us some hot chocolate and we tried to get some =
feeling back into our fingers... and gave up for the day.  I'm frustrated, =
as this should have been a simple fix.

The engine does not catch at all.... but, it backfired through the carb =
(single weber) a number of times.  Next time, I guess I'll take off the =
cam cover and see if some PO had had everything backwards, including the =
cams, and by setting everything to specs, we may have gotten 180 degrees =
out.....=20

ANY OTHER THOUGHTS???  There's about a foot of snow outside today, but =
spring is coming so we gotta get this solved soon..

- - jack
(snowed in in Virginia)

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