Just about finished the 67 but having a problem with the starter, here's what I've got. The starter works 99% of the time but right now it is in the driveway and will not start, when you try it the courtesy lights dim a little and nothing! I checked the voltage at the solinoid and when the switch is turned to start I get a voltage reading around 7 volts. I cut a splice connector at the firewall and the purple wire from the dash is 12 volts with the switch in the start position, but if I connect the wires together I get the same 7 volt reading that I get a the starter, If i run a jumper from the battery to the purple wire going to the starter solinoid the engine will start everytime, that is until I disconnect the jumper, then it goes dead, that is with the key off, with the key on it starts right up every time with the jumper, why am I getting the low voltage reading with the wire connected and 12 volts when I disconnect it ? boy the electrical gremlings will drive you nuts

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69 rallye green X77 Z/28,1967 SS 396 Conv. 1974 c-10 454 swb

Pipeman,

Just worked through this on my 67 a couple of weeks ago. A couple of questions. Are you using a newer mini starter or a conventional style?

Newer starters just have one post for the purple start wire. Older starters also had a post, I believe marked with an "R" that you hooked the yellow cloth looking wire that pigtails off the yellow wire going to the positive side of the coil. If you have a new starter this yellow cloth wire has no where to go....more on this later...but did you hook it to the start post? May explain the 7v/12v mix....

Purple wire should have 12v with key in start and be 0v in "on". Yellow wire to coil (resistor wire) typically provides 7v or so in "on". The pig tail was used to provide additional voltage back from the starter to the coil during start as the yellow wire would typically drop to 5v or so during this situation.

I have a new mini starter and I just tied back the yellow cloth wire at the starter. Car would turn but only sometimes catch, usually right when I release the key from start. Used an idea David Pozzi provided from his mini starter installation diagram which recommended an alternate circuit to provide the additional voltage during start. You basically hook the yellow cloth wire up to the lower post of the starter solenoid (hot from battery during start) but you put a diode in the line (12V 10 amp recommended) so it allows current to flow to the coil to help in start but keeps current from flowing from the yellow wire back to the starter in "on". Hooked this up and mine works great!!!

My Blaster 2 coil likes 12v all the time so I should probably replace the resistor wire at some point but it seems to work good.

Search on my name in the Engine and electrical sections in the last 20 days and you will find my posts.

Mark M.

I am using a GM starter, with the two pole solinoid, I thought that I had found the problem by cleaning the connection at the block ground of paint, but went for a drive and it failed to start when I tried to leave a friends house, I went to his shop and found a piece of wire and jumped the solinoid from the pos post of battery and it started right up, to make matters worse, when I got home it started 10 times in a row, go figure, could it be something with the solinoid heatin up and not working? but when I jump it it works fine. Also the 7 volt at the purple wire is a mystery to me, thanks for the reply, maybe the mini starter is a cure?

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69 rallye green X77 Z/28,1967 SS 396 Conv. 1974 c-10 454 swb

May just be a solenoid problem. May want to also check the ignition switch.

Mark M.