[AKCJ]

To check for parasitic draw you'll need to check the amperage draw between the + battery terminal and the + battery cable (after you take the cable off). I think that's what Ballysdad meant to say. You can get some idea by using a simple test light but amps is what you really need.

Note that a battery that has been drained down several times will probably not (ever) be any good.

It's usually free to get a battery load tested at NAPA or other places.

One good test would be to read the battery voltage before starting the car, then start the car and make sure the voltage reading goes up. If it doesn't then your charging system may not be working.

Sometimes a no start is just a bad cable or bad connection at one end of one of the cables. On a car this old I would probably get all new cables - just went through this last week on the wife's Saab when the temp dropped to below zero.