hot car No Start

Check the engine ground strap, and all the connections from the battery to the starter, and the ground from the battery to the chassis. Many years ago, I had exactly this problem; the engine would start perfectly when cold, but just "click" SOMETIMES (I HATE intermittent problems!) when hot. I started parking it on a hill, to make it easier to push start. But jump starting (to the battery terminals) didn't work, as you will soon see why.

At first, I blamed the solenoid, which I replaced to no avail. Then I re-built the starter, but still no luck. Finally, it began happening more often, so I was able to trace it to a slightly loose bolt on the ground strap (passenger side) to the block. I think I figured it out one time when I tried to jump start it and used the block as the ground connection. I guess when the engine was cold, the bolt was tight enough to make a passable connection, but when the bolt heated up, it expanded ever-so-slightly, and the connection became tenuous.

Or, it could be something COMPLETELY different! Good luck.

Same issue in 73GT

Hi. Seems my little pride and joy does not have a unique problem. I used a file found on the ground to hot wire this little girl. This did get me some looks from the locals enjoying their ice cream cones as I am sure they were expecting this "yank" to blow herself (and others) to kingdom come when they figured out what I was about to do. I thank my Navy Chief for teaching me this trick in Australia.

Anyhow, I bought this car for my husband and it seems after I drove it off the lot and two hours later into a gas station, she would not show any signs of wanting to start. The following morning she cranked right over, and over again after I was paranoid that I was duped and would have to endure "the look" from my hubby.

So I will look over the suggestions here and allow my hubby to tinker.

I could tell immediately that I had done the right thing the minute he saw this girl. He, like many of you, had one when he was a young lad and some 20 years later the picture of it still is on his refrigerator. I am a Corvette girl myself, but we all have our own "dream car" issues!

This is a great site!

Thanks!

Uh oh, took car to park for lunch break. Went to leave, turn key-nothing. This happened twice before, both times it kicked in after I "tinkered" but I was convinced at the time I did nothing. Both times previous the car was hot. This time it was not. Started normally drove about a mile to park, sat and tinkered with key 'on' so radio would play. Only for about 10 minutes, that should have been the only draw on the battery, turned off electric fuel pump even.
So, I had to get back to work fiddled with the starter relay connections, nothing. Put her in gear and pushed it forward a bit to rock the motor and therefore maybe bump the starter but no go. Grabbed a screw driver, put key on "on" and jumped the lugs on the starter for a split second. This scares the crap out of me, it sparked and cranked a second. I went back to the traditional less scary method (key) nothing. No solenoid click or anything.
So walked back to work and am typing this. I will walk back, try to start (hopefully my car is still there, not the best part of town). Check grounds.
If she won't go I will again put key to "on" (car out of gear!!) and jump the lugs until she goes. This is correct emergency procedure I hope.
Important thing right now is I get home to my kids on time. This will not endear the GT to wife, she's already a heavy skeptic.
Emergency advice READILY accepted!!
Already back with GT under it's own power. Boss ran me over and he listened while I hit the ignition repeatedly, claimed he heard a very faint click, after about 5 hits, it fired and ran.
So I'll likely make it home okay but I need to fix this (too). I still have the original starter with a suspect Bendix, but now that it's warm I'm betting it will work fine. I could swap the whole works and see what happens. Pretty easy to swap now that I've "been there done that" once already. I will also clean up ground straps. I hope the ignition switch is okay yet.

no memory

That last reply by jvandyke sparked an old memory of how I used to start my old 70 GT, about 25 yrs ago. The '71 I have now starts with no problem, so I haven't had need to do that since around '78. Being a total geezer now, I can't seem to remember exactly how I jumped the lugs, as he put it, but I remember it did work, in a pinch. And he's right, it was scarier than a live grenade in your foxhole. I recall you had to grab the throttle on the carb and give it a little gas, the key had to be in the ON position, and you held the tip of the screwdriver across one of the starter terminals and the blade against another part ??? and you could zap it a few cranks and start it.
I do remember doing it once in total darkness in a parking lot at midnight, my buddy was standing beside me, I told him "stand back, unless you want to die". He took 2 steps back, I zapped it, and a spark about 5 inches wide jumped off the screwdriver and lit up the entire engine bay and went CCRRAAACK !!!, he jumped back about 10 feet and yelled HOLY S$#@%!!!...and the engine started right up. To be honest, it scared the living hell out of me, but cool as cool could be, I turned to him and said "What's the matter, is there a problem with that? ". He just stood there in a state of shock, as if I had been just struck by lightning.
Happiness lies in good health and a bad memory.