Long time since I have posted anything on here (so long I had to re-register), but my 74' Dart is giving me some issues. I have had my Dart Sport completed now for about two years and haven't touched it much within those two years (finished up college and got a big boy job). Recently I have been trying to drive it more and have found that the engine is difficult to start. I will have to fight to get the engine to turn over when it is cold and have to really gun it to keep it alive until it warms up. Once on the road (and after stalling a few times) the car is fine. It will also start up without too much trouble when it is hot.

I believe the car is in a need of a tune up and some adjustments. Any suggestions on what I should do to help make this cold start up go away?

Make sure the choke works properly and can be closed by pumping the gas once when cold.

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69 Plymouth Valiant

Do you mean it turns over too slow, or fails to turn over with each turn of the key?

If cranking too slow, clean battery terminal connections, and ground strap to block connection, and charge battery. If remaking connections and charging does not help, have the battery load tested, it may be getting tired and needs to be replaced.

Having a battery fail in a vehicle that sits unused is common, particularly if it became discharged one or more times during storage. Once a battery goes flat and sits discharged past 80% self-destructs and loses is ability to hold a charge resulting in not enough cranking amps in reserve to turn over engine.

If car is not going to be used regularly invest in a battery tender, a device that maintains battery in proper charge.

My car’s old uppity Holley 390 carburetor is acting up this spring after the Dart sat unused this winter since November with fuel conditioner as yours. This spring often it won’t idle once started acting as it had a huge vacuum leak, but sometimes idles as it should. This is a symptom of old gas laced with 10% moonshine raising hell with carburetor’s internal parts. My choke is working fine as it gets exercised every time the car is started in sub artic Maine. The fix could be as simple as: using up old gas, getting fresh gas and going for a long drive; or cleaning & adjusting your choke as mentioned previously; or disassembling cleaning & blowing carburetor out; or installing a rebuild kit.

Do the easy no cost easy stuff first.

My car has responded well since burning off most of the ¼ tank of old fuel and getting a snoot full of new fuel, but carburetor still may need disassembly and cleaning. A few more miles of driving may also cure it, time will tell.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC