Car stalls when key is released!

[62roadster]

Working on a friend's '56, car has been sitting for 3 years, I was able to get it started but it would stall immediately when the ignition key would come off of the start position. I found that if I held the key in the start position it would continue to run but of course so would the starter continue to run also. So., I had a helper disconnect the starter wire from the solenoid to disable the starter after the car started and I continued to keep the key in the "start" position and the car continued to run, when I let off the key to the normal "run" position, it would stall.

So, is the problem with the ignition switch or something other in the electrical system?,,,

[Haz567]

May be a long shot but is the brown wire that goes to the coil on the "battery" side of the starter solenoid; Red w/ blue stripe on the starter side of the solenoid?

[Joe Johnston]

Check the resistor by the coil for tight connections and continuity as well as the wiring to and from the resistor.
Diagnostics are spelled out in the Shop Manual.

[ward 57]

Classic resistor failure. Either the resistor itself or loose connections as Joe Johnston suggests.

[paul2748]

Wired wrong - had the same problem with another car and I had it wired wrong. Make sure the solenoid is wired correctly

[posmanski]

Classic resistor failure. Either the resistor itself or loose connections as Joe Johnston suggests.

Can anyone explain why a bad resistor would cause this? Is the resistor bypassed while the engine is cranking and only comes back into the circuit after the key is in the run position?

[ward 57]

Classic resistor failure. Either the resistor itself or loose connections as Joe Johnston suggests.

Can anyone explain why a bad resistor would cause this? Is the resistor bypassed while the engine is cranking and only comes back into the circuit after the key is in the run position?

Exactly! Gives a little extra boost from the coil when starting especially helpful when cold.

[posmanski]

Classic resistor failure. Either the resistor itself or loose connections as Joe Johnston suggests.

Can anyone explain why a bad resistor would cause this? Is the resistor bypassed while the engine is cranking and only comes back into the circuit after the key is in the run position?

Exactly! Gives a little extra boost from the coil when starting especially helpful when cold.

Thanks!