History THE DREADED PREVIOUS OWNER

When I'm interested in a car, I usually don't ask any questions unless it's a great distance to travel to see it. My inspection tells me more than any of the PO's answers will.
Also, unless there's a new aftermarket wire harness installed ( and then I look closely at the installation) I figure it needs wiring on any old car.

 

Sometimes they can be your friend though....

When I bought my chopped top Model "A" Sedan body, it was sitting on an original frame and running gear etc. The PO had planned to build a late 40s or early 50s bomber rod out of it. However he was frustrated as he said "he" had purchased it as a rebuilt running Model "A" motor etc. He said they tried everything to get it started but it would not. He said he got screwed on the deal and I should just consider the running gear as a trailer for the body (which was all I was looking for anyway and all I paid for in the end).

But after I got it home and the body off, things didn't make since. It had a brand new muffler on it. It had a brand new stock distributor cap and rotor and a brand new lower radiator hose. Why would any of these things be replaced if the motor didn't run? So we installed the starter that was in a box of parts which included what looked like a newer Mallory distributor. We turned it over and sure enough it wouldn't start. I checked to see if it had any spark and it didn't but it was getting fuel. I pulled the top off the distributor cap and it looked really nice. As I said, it was a new cap and rotor etc. With the top off the cap off we started to bump the motor around to double check the timing but the rotor did not move. I pulled the distributor and there was no upper shaft in it. The shaft was in the box of parts but instead I dropped the other distributor in place, clocked it the same as the original. It fired on the first turn and just set there and idled like a sewing machine.