I just bought a 1968 Camaro Convertible and it does not have the keys for it, however I would like to try and start the engine. What is the safest way and the correct steps to prime the carburetor?

Welcome to TC Jim. I cant help you with the starting the car without a key.
I suggest you Get someone that knows vehicles and help you out.
Hope I dont come across flippant, but it seems your trying to do something which you have no experience with. And what you want takes someone with a little mech. background.

Anyway, maybe someone here on TC from Orlando area might be able to help. Just ask.

Congrats on the car...enjoy the site and all the knowledge about Camaros you will gain here.

Thank you for the feedback, You are most certainly right, I do not have expertise in areas such as this, that is why I would like to use this as a learning experience. I had the opportunity to buy the car very cheap, and I wanted to use this as a learning experience. I am a very easy learner, and have taken things a part and rebuilt them all of my life, just nothing like an old car. I can take almost anything mechanical apart and rebuild it, I just want to know the proper procedure on how to do prime the carburetor.

If you remove the air cleaner, there a vent tubes for the fuel bowls. Using a very small funnel, you can fill the carb thru these tubes.
There are lots of different kinds of carberators and the tubes differ from one to the other. Best would be for you to post a pic of the top of the carb, then someone can circle the vent tubes for you.

Thank you sir, I will get somep pics of it.

If there's already fuel in the lines, at least up to the fuel pump, I'd just crank it and go. won't take too long (10 sec at most?) to get fuel up to the bowls and it'll light off. If no fuel in the lines, disconnect at the fuel pump and suck on that line until you get fuel, reconnect to the pump and go.

As a owner I wouldnt want people posting how to start our cars without a key. Theres already enough criminals who know how without posting a "how to" for the dumber ones! If someone helps please take it to private messages!

Good point Timothy.... edited my post.

How long has the car been sitting? Without the ignition key you will have to hotwire the car which could mean damaging it. Get a key made for it or get a new lock set for the car. You are talking $20 for a new ignition lock and keys for your car.

Priming a carb shouldn't really be necessary if the engine turns over and the fuel pump works and there is gas in the tank. If the car has been setting the carb is likely to be a sprinkler spraying gas everywhere if the gaskets have all dried out. A rebuild would be in order before even trying to start the engine. You should also change all the fluids, belts and hoses and prime the engine to get oil circulating and new plugs and wires would help insure fire-up success.

That sounds like a lot of work and expense just to see if the engine will run but if it doesn't get good spark, fuel and air you might mis-diag the way it runs and that could cost you even more. You might also do more damage if the engine doesn't oil properly.

I am not a believer of just turning the key cranking and cranking and pumping the gas etc. You never need to crank for more than a few seconds at a time. If you do need a prime to get the fuel going use a spray can starter fluid and follow the directions on the can. Be careful not to flood the engine but if you do hold the throttle wide open and crank it a bit, again short cranking sessions but leave the throttle at wide open until it fires. This will not add more fuel but will allow plenty of air into the mix.

As already suggested, a more experienced buddy helping out is the way to learn, this isn't taking things apart and putting them back together. The issue here is knowing when something is right or wrong, as good as you are at learning you don't want to learn something wrong. You'll get lots of advice and help here but nobody can teach you the sounds and smells and visuals without being there...

Nobody asked this gentleman how long since the car was started, what condition it and the motor is in or even if it can be turned over by hand. Fluids, Oil etc. Just a note of precaution.

Sorry, above post sent while I was typing.

Thank you all for the information and the replys. I would definitly not want to hot wire it, not would I want the how to being posted on here. So I apologize for the wording of my question. I went ahead and made an edit to the posted question. The belts and hoses have all been replaced. I am not sure how long the car was sitting. My guess would be a few years. It was stored in a climate controled storage facility. The facility manager sold it to me when the owner would not come and pick it up after not paying the storage fee in over a year. So the information I have is limited. It is in decent shape, it just needs minor body work, and I just want to be real cautious messing around with the engine.

Jim, You can buy an ignition for the car. Get that and find a buddy that can assist.

Guys, there have been a few threads on how to hot wire a motor but for those starting a motor out side of the car. I understand what you guys mean though.
If I were to be starting a car for the first time it would be a real hassle to hot wire start it every time while messing with other parts to get it dialed in to run (timing, carb...)

I didn't read all the posts for this info, but I had a friend that got burned pretty bad priming a car, so be careful.
James West

A qualified locksmith can remove the tumbler to get the key code from it and make a key for you for a few bucks.

You can remove the rear seat back after removing the seat bottom, push back each corner about an inch and raise up, then unscrew the two lag bolts at the bottom of the rear seat top, lift up the seat cushion and take a #2 Phillips screwdriver, a 1/4 inch wide flatblade screwdriver, and flashlight and crawl into the trunk. Once in the back, screw out the screw from the pass side and pull out the lock keeper and the key tumbler will fall out to the outside. Use the flatblade to unlatch the trunk lid and crawl out the trunk. See the slot from the front side.

Have the locksmith make two sets of keys. Ign key will do the ign and glovebox and trunk key will do the door locks.