got tired of the "clicking" several time before the 85 would go ,,,,,got a Powermaster xs starter.......quite the job pulling the old behemoth out.....cant reach the wires above, tough to get it down past the fuel lines and headers....However, after all that, easily in stalled the new starter....much smaller......starts the car in millisecondss......what a difference......Ecklers wanted over 400 but paid half that on e bay for the same starter......had to jack it up to do it, would have been a lot easier on a hoist.......

 

I use a gear drive starter on a 1968 C3 Convertible with a 427. The engine was rebuilt and has 12.25-1 compression ratio and starting using a normal Chevy starter was "iffy" if the engine was hot. I had a heavy duty rebuild of my starter and still it cranked slowly. I then went to a Gear drive starter from Summit Racing and it was less than $200 for one with a high quality (electric motor) and made the engine cranking sound like a slant six. It was "better" but the next part really "changed" the way it starts.

I bought a MSD box that retards the ignition up to 20* while cranking and then returns the timing back to normal after reaching 800 rpm. That made a huge impact on starting the car. Probably the easiest way to start the car any time you want. I would retard the timing using an external MSD box before going to a gear drive starter motor if money was tight. With the timing pulled back the engine really cranks easily and starts very quickly. Even with a carburetor it just takes a bump to get the engine to roar to life.

Gear Drive starters are great as some of them allow you to rotate the motor to a position that works best for you. The flip side is they are expensive and can be a real PIA to install. I am using long tube headers and they clear with lots of room for the starter and its wiring.

I too don't have a lift but would really like to have one. Having five crushed discs in your lower back makes working under the car even more fun. It sounds like you have resolved your starting issues with a new starter, that is awesome! For those of you with hard starting cars take a look at retarding the timing while cranking the car. It is a viable alternative to a gear drive starter in many cases. MSD and others are incorporating this into their Ignition boxes now, I did it using a digital retard box that allowed me to have the Crank retard feature. I have been using the MSD box and the gear drive starter for over 20 years and no problems. I wish I could have retarded the timing of my old 1969 BSA 441 Victor motorcycle when starting the engine, pulling the timing makes the engine turn over easier.

Hope the Weather is nice down in Fort Myers, I went to Edison College there and lived on a boat in a marina in North Ft Myers back in the mid to late 1970's. When done I started it up and brought it back to Virginia. 1500 miles at 10 knots was a great way to see the south east coastal area. Less than $300 of fuel to get me all the way home on the inter coastal waterways. I love Sanibel Island and Ft Myers Beach as they are some of the best beaches in Florida. I had some incredible times down there but I don't miss the "No-see-um's" you have down there or the Love Bugs either.

Best regards,
Chris