So as some of you know the '59 was backfiring real bad last night when it was cold.  After it would warm up it was fine.  I had noticed the coil had been leaking lately so I went ahead and bought a new coil today.  I also decided to pick up some new plugs.  When I got home today and was able to start working on it, the first thing I did was try to start it just to make sure it was doing the same thing.  I turned it over and over and over, but nothing.  I got out and I could smell the fuel.  So I went ahead and swapped the coil.  Got back in and turned it over and over and over.  Still no spark.  So I pop open the distributor and what did I find?!  The points were staying closed during the rotation.  Re gapped the the points and what do you know.  She fired right up and purred just like before.  I did go ahead and swap the plugs while I was at it.
Happy Wrenching.

One embarrasing moment as a tech.....

I had finished building the engine for my 72 bus (yes, David, the only type 4 engine i have ever personally owned).... installed the engine, would not start, checked everything, over and over, found that i had forgotten to set the points gap, they were never even opening......duh.

Ahhh, the power of the ignition points....
 :lol:

I have seen a lot of people chase what they thought was a bad carb. due to backfiring, and all along they just had a burned set of points.

Like my grandfather taught me..."keep an extra new set of points, a business card and a flathead screwdriver in the car with you and you'll never have a problem with a points distributor."

I would only need the business card...as long as it was Rick Swaffords!

Attack Chicken has a plastic business card, it might last longer.