Pelican Parts Forums - Remembering the K.I.S.S. principle

That's stands for Keep It Simple Stupid, which is what I feel like right now.
After owning the vehicle for several years, I finally got around to checking the basics, and fixed some of the little problems on the vehicle I have ignored for too long.

#1. The turn signals would not work properly and both interior dash flashers would light, but only with a right turn. The switch was worn out so I assumed it was an internal thing.
It wasen't.
Got under the bumper and saw a nice bundle of brown wires attached to a grommet that looked like a big "Zero" in the air. Wire-brushed contacts, attched, and liquid electrical taped it to the frame to seal it up. No problems now.

#2. The battery posts connectors didn't seem to fit right. Turns out the lead side posts were reversed (the bigger positive was screwed into the neg side). Huh?? The sheet metal screws in the door handle should have been a clue as to the previous mechanics apptitude.

#3. This is the big one. This is the clincher. The car had not run well ever since I got it. A valve adjustment and timing change had helped greatly, but I had to run the fuel pump for several minutes and wait for five minutes of sputtering to drive the thing. There was also a bad misfire under 2000 rpm.
I supected clogged carburators or a badly sticking valve so I took it to school to put it on the ignition scope (those things will find anything!!!). Couldn't make heads or tails of the CDI wave pattern but my lab partner made the offhand comment "mabye the coil is hooked up backwards".

The coil was hooked up backwards.

The guy then made another astute comment: "Start from scratch".
I had checked the CDI grounds and the coil connections and had blocked it out in my mind as "done/finished/o.k.".

This post is a reminder to double check the basics on any project, 'cause I sure didn't.

Starts on first crank now, idles smooth at 800 rpm, and sounds like a little typewriter.