63 Nova Straight Six Engine Won't Start

[mcd0minguez]

I have a 1963 Chevy Nova Convertible with a straight six engine

It was sitting for 7 years and we are finally tunning it up for a car show next month.

We replaced the Carburetor and it is not starting. The in-line gas filter (we installed to view gas clarity) barely is 25% full. This car has an electric fuel pump but the wires are ran to the engine compartment and are not connected to anything. Should I hook them up? If so where to?

I also acidentily broke the wires going to the starter. I thought I fixed the wires properly but there are extra? See picture below. Are the wires correct? The skinny red one goes to the coil. I don't know where the purple goes to. The brown one gets power when the key is on but is not connected to anything.

The car almost starts. We barely start cranking it when it fires up but then dies out after we stop turning it over. PLEASE HELP ME I WANT TO GET THIS BEAUTY BACK ON THE ROAD

 

[mcd0minguez]

Forgot to add the pictures

The red and purple are wired down to one of the sides of the starter.

The brown wire that is not connected to anything is ran inside I believe and gets power when the key in on.

 

[zora]

If you run an electric pump you have to have a place where you get full power when the ignition is on. Do you have an empty spot on the fuse box with the label IGN? If not you can also try the + side of the ignition coil. What is located where the mechanical pump is? Here is a wiring diagram for your car.

http://www.novareference.com/manuals/Wiring/1963/63_Nova_wiring.jpg

 

[mcd0minguez]

The fuel pump only needs power when the starter is cranking? SO I can wire it to one side of the starter? or does it need power after the engine starts and while it's running?

The mechanical pump is still there in the engine but the electric pump is under the car near the gas tank.

 

[zora]

It needs power when cranking and running. But why would you have a electric pump if the mechanical is still there and hooked up. That doesnt make sense, you either have one or the other, not both. Is the fuel line to the carburetor coming from the mechanical pump?

 

[mcd0minguez]

The guy that use to work on it rigged it somehow and has both.

I wired up the electric fuel pump and gas is flowing freely now.

I also checked all the wires (near the starter) and they are working properly.

BUT it still doesn't start! It begins to but then dies out, never fully running.

I checked the firing order and timing and everything seems to be working. My friend suggested that there might be a relay somewhere that is defective that might be preventing it from starting?

 

[zora]

Did you check if the points are burnt? With the key in the run position, do you get 9 or more volts at the positive side of the coil?