Hi, It looks like theres a wire thats cut from my carb on a 51 263 in a special.. was there any electrical wires or anyhting like that hooked to the carb, or SHOULD be hooked to it? or anything i should know, Im just wonderin..it seems to run fine.

A '51 is started by putting the gas pedal to the floor to cause the switch on the carb to turn the starter motor. Yours has probably been overridden with a button or with a key switch.

was this a good method to start the car? any flaws in it, and would the push button starter be better? i assume, it would be less work to start it, because youre giving it gas while turning it over.. should i try to get it back to the stock-style ignition?

do you currently start the car with a push button or with the gas pedal? as far as the carb wire i'll try to do a little research. i don't recall one on my '52 263 but i can't go look since it's not at my house yet.

ah sorry i didnt specify.. yes, my car has a push button and its converted over to 12v

All Buicks from the 1930's to 1960 came with gas pedal starter. If the vacuum switch in the carb breaks down, the starter will engage any time you floor it on the highway...

The original system is backed up by the external voltage regulator, which prevents accidental starting while the engine is running, should the vacuum sw be broken.

I have also converted to 12 volts, thus have no backup system, but the vacuum SW on the carb works just fine. If nothing else, the system is good for impressing people!

Jyrki, Do you have a generator or altenator? I switched mine to an alternator and promptly fried my starter switch!! I'm now using a push button. Do I need some sort of relay in place of the voltage regulator? Any suggestions? Anybody?

Sorry for not responding - I'be been out for a while. I have an alternator, but it shouldn't have anything to do with frying out the carb switch. The alternator is the standards 63 amp Delco with an internal voltage regulator.

Boy, This conversation is taking forever!!! Sorry, I didn't think the alternator was the culprit. I also switched my starter solenoid to 12v, and I no longer have a voltage regulator. the old solenoid had 3 wires and the new one only has 2.