Hello from the Nevada desert, and if there's a rule against x-posting this from the introduction forum, my humblest apologies.

Now, I have acquired a '76 Chrysler Cordoba (With the 400, 2 Barrel, Lean Burn). The car has 75K original miles on it. It ran perfectly, and was driven out into the back shed and parked about eight years ago, where it has sat ever since. I was told that if I can get it running, I can have it at no cost.

Now, I am no mechanic - I can fix small things here or there - but I have a shop manual and a desire to learn. Cosmetically the car is in fantastic condition, with the exception of some very minor surface rust on the top of the car, and the dash cracking from the pounding desert sun. The oil was brand new and fresh when it was parked there, but as far as I know the gas-tank wasn't emptied. I'm sure this is a part of the problem I am having with it.

Someone had tried to start it at some point, and was an idiot, and hooked the battery up backwards. The ignition switch was fried and needed replacing - which I did over many painstakingly slow hours of trying to figure out how to take apart the steering wheel and whatnot to get in to remove/replace the ignition switch.

I cracked open the hood - which needed some grease as it didn't want to come up on its rails. First in goes a new battery. I have a new set of plugs but they are WAY down there and I have to get this car off of the ant-infested gravel before I even think about climbing under it.

Took the air cleaner off - the intake hose to the air cleaner was cracked and busted - but that's no problem. Gave the carburetor a thorough cleaning with some carb cleaner. Poured half a can of Seafoam and about 5 gallons of fresh gas in the gas tank and tried to start her up. It chugs, but doesn't go - so I spray some starter fluid down in the carb to try and give her a bit of a headstart - and she comes right to life. However - she then shortly dies again after running for a few seconds. It seems I am not getting fuel to the carburetor.

And this is where I am stuck. Got no idea where to go from here, as I am not a car person - if it were a motorcycle I'd have a slightly better idea (not much) of what I was doing. Any thoughts? What should I be looking to check/replace first?

Someone had suggested to me that the Lean Burn needs to be taken out too, as they tend to fry after sitting in the desert sun for so long making the car run horridly - and that it can be bypassed - but I have no idea how to do this either. Any thoughts on this? Should I even be worried about it at this point?

Anyhow - would love to get this thing running so I can move it somewhere that I can really get a start at it - get some pictures under the hood and whatnot.

Thanks in advance,

W0lf

 

Thanks, mate. Will get worrying about that once I get the girl runnin'. Got the fuel pump in the mail right now.