Hi Guys, I bought a 62 conv with the std 390 4 barrell setup. Car came from a dealer in St Louis with an Arizona title. I had my mechanic go over the car last week. He found no major issues other than the generator needed a rebuild. While driving it back home, it sputtered and stalled out. The gas gauge read one eighth left. I thought it was probably out of gas. I had my wife bring out a gallon of gas I had sitting on the shelf for the lawn mower. It was probably 8 or 9 months old. It took her about 10 minutes to get it to me. I put it in the tank and started after a short time. I went to the station and put in 12 gallons. The gauge then showed three quarters full. I drove home and the car sputtered a little bit going up the drive, but made it into the garage. The next day I drove to my parents house 30 miles away without a problem. The car sat for about 2 hours before I drove back home. About halfway home, and with the gauge showing one half full, the same thing happened as the day before. It sputtered and eventually died. I sat by the side of the road for about 5 minutes and was able to start it again. I drove maybe 6 or 7 miles further and it happened again. This pattern repeated a total of 5 times in the last 15 miles back home, with a shorter distance travelled each time. I did not notice the temp gauge getting real hot, but then again I'm not sure how well it works since I've only had the car a short time. Any ideas on what the issue is? My amateur brain can only come up with bad gas or vapor lock.

Check the vent line in the fuel tank. These are often overlooked and can be blocked which will cause the symptoms you describe. When the engine dies, remove the gas cap as soon as possible and note if can hear an inrush of air through the filler. You can comfirm a problem with the vent by running the engine with the gas cap slightly ajar, thus venting past the cap. If the engine stops stalling, you have found the problem. Fuel filter(s) should be replaced too if it hasn't been serviced recently.

Thanks for the knowledge. I will try it when I get home tonight. The fuel filter was replaced when my mechanic did his once-over. So, you think this could be the issue even though I drove about 45 miles before it started?

While anything is possible, if the fuel filter plugged up enough to actually stop the fuel flow to the engine, it is doubtful that it would then allow sufficient fuel to pass and then re-start at a later time. That said, a fuel filter is relatively inexpensive and replacing it would not hurt. Also, depending upon the type of filter, in-line, cartridge, etc., you can examine the filter media and see if there is any dirt or rust present. This may give you a clue as to the condition of the fuel tank itself and the fuel lines. BTW, is the gas cap new? Does it seal tightly? Does it have a vent or check valve built in? Just trying to eliminate other possible gremlins.

Is it possible that it's the generator causing the problem? I know on my Mopars that if it dies or if it doesn't want to run right away that it's probably the Voltage Regulator is starting to take a dump (don't worry about this, Mopars are setup differently than Fords), and usually if I let it sit for a while it'll fire back up. If you've put in a new fuel filter, and you end up testing out what kandiapple said, I'd start with the generator. It doesn't seem to me that it's got to do with a bad flow of gas, unless you do have a vapor lock going on.

Theres usually a filter on the end of the pick up tube in the gas tank. If you have dirt or crud in the tank it will do that. It sucks onto the screen after it runs awhile then drops off after the engine stops

skfury, interesting idea. I do notice a high-pitched whinny noise now that the generator has been rebuilt. I'm sure it didn't do that before. Could it be that the generator was not rebuilt properly, or perhaps there is an issue with the voltage regulator now that the generator is working as it should.

I took the car back to my mechanic last night and told him what all you guys have suggested. He says he's more inclined to believe that it's a vapor lock issue and the replacing the fuel pump is probably the best place to start. What do you guys think? Will a marginal fuel pump cause vapor lock? I had a '56 that the previous owner had installed an electric fuel pump on the frame just below the drivers side door. I wondered why, but maybe it was done for that reason. Would the addition of an electric pump to the system eliminate vapor lock? My mechanic said he would check out the entire fuel system, but he suspects it's the pump.