Cold starting issue

[64dartgt]

All right...so I start my car and drive to work no problem...it sits there for hours then I come out and turn the key and nothing.  I fuss with the key, the wires, the battery is new and changing the ballast resistor does nothing.  Five minutes later it spontaneously starts fine.  Any ideas?  Car is a 64 Dart GT convertible with a 273, all original under the hood.

[billschroeder5842]

Need more information....nothing as in no power to the entire car or no cranking power. Or it cranks but does not catch.....see what I mean?

[64dartgt]

No cranking whatsoever, which is why I went right to the ballast resistor. 

[Charger RT]

the ballast resistor is only for the ignition system. It has no effect on cranking.

The cranking of the engine has to do with ignition switch, nuetral safety switch, battery cables, battery connections, starter, and starter relay.
Tim

[elacruze]

Heat soaked starter solenoid. Takes a couple tries/minutes to loosen up after cooking.
When it fails to crank, have somebody hold the key and whack the starter/solenoid with a stick, hammer, pipe, or rock and see if it shakes loose. If so, you need to lube it well (I use a polish-up and a little Never-Sieze) and add some heat shielding.

[bobs66440]

Heat soaked starter solenoid. Takes a couple tries/minutes to loosen up after cooking.
When it fails to crank, have somebody hold the key and whack the starter/solenoid with a stick, hammer, pipe, or rock and see if it shakes loose. If so, you need to lube it well (I use a polish-up and a little Never-Sieze) and add some heat shielding.

  Mine did exactly the same thing and it was a loose terminal on the starter solenoid. I put a new one on and it was fixed. It's worth a try.

[64dartgt]

Thanks all.  Sorry about the delayed response, but I was on vacation.  I don't think it is necessarily heat related because it can occur after the car has been driven then sat for eight hours at work.  It is very tight quarters and right next to the exhaust though.  Perhaps it heats up and then sticks.  I will look into it as well as a potential lose connection.  I replaced the starter and the positive cable over the past few years and it isn't driven much.  Perhaps something is going on.  I need to buy a new set of car ramps before I do so.  My old metal ones just skid on the driveway and mark it up.  The driveway has a slight incline.