I took my Z out 2 days ago for another test run (still a little paranoid over the fuel pump issues) when just a block from my house, the car backfired, then quit.
I coasted into a nearby school athletic field parking lot to assess the issue. It felt much more like an ignition issue this time. There was fuel in the filter (good!) and after a couple of attempts the car reluctantly started and ran long enough to get it home. After a couple of checks on the wiring, ballast resistor, points I tried starting the car again in my garage. It started but then would quit again, just like I shut off the car with the key. After a bit more probing, I had my wife try starting the car while I observed the spark test light that I put on No. 1 cylinder. When she cranked it over, the car would try to start then just crank and each time I saw the spark light get very weak each time it would quit firing. Convinced this is fact an ignition issue, I finally pulled the distributor, checked the points, cap, rotor, and changed the condenser. Yep, the condenser was the problem. Changed it out and runs great for now.
Happy Fourth of July to all you Z nuts!
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