Yes, check the battery first, mainly because it's the cheapest and easiest to fix and diagnose. Then have the starter checked if the battery is OK.

 

Its getting cold up there right? How is the water level in the battery? Sitting in the cold with low water will kill a battery. A side note. The AUDI that sat in my driveway for a month had a good battery when my bro parked it in April. After leaving it sit until October it was dead. A jump would get the car running again but if you shut it off is was dead and after two or three tries to roll it over, the dash lights wouldn't even come on. He was bumming because he didn't have any money for a new one and was leaving for Montana. On a prayer I started it up and let it idle while I tore the rear wheel off and unsiezed the brake rotor that had rusted solid from sitting. By the time i was done (about 45 min) all was well. He left that afternoon for Montana and hasn't called to tell me it didn't work. I assume he made it LOL.

 

I'll get the battery and starter checked. The car was doing this before I let it sit also. Starting to think it's the starter because the car would not re-start after I drove it, until it cooled down for half hour or so. That was back at the end of summer. Maybe it's both? Really kinda pointless to fix this just so I can pull it back out but I want to know this isnt going to come back. I'm getting a new optima battery for the Camaro anyway for next year. I've got another starter too if the one on the Camaro is bad. Side note, Damon -your bros Audi must get AWESOME gas mileage if he made it to Montana from Muskegon with no money? lol. Just sounded funny when I read it. Thanks for the help gentlemen, I'll advise when I get this stuff tested and hopefully fixed!

 

Hate putting a new battery into a car that's going back into storage for the winter. If you do have to get one, then do yourself a favor and put one of those battery tenders on it so it will stay fresh until spring. I use them on my motorcycle, quad, and cars to keep the batteries in good shape. They're pretty cheap insurance. $10 at Harbor Freight.
Automatic Battery Charger - 12V

 

Thanks for the info Vall, I'll have to pick up one of those. If indeed it is the battery that's bad, the new battery won't go into the car until after the new engine is installed and I'm ready to drive it next spring/summer. I just want to get this problem isolated and resolved beforehand. I'd basically put the battery in so I can pull it into the garage and then take it back out. My 327 has a good starter on it already so if that's what's bad, it's already covered. Still kinda hard to do a lot of wrenching with my messed up hand but I'll get this figured out while we've got a bit of a warm stretch with the weather.

Off topic question - if you were going to get a new transmission with o/d, what would be your choice? I've somewhat decided on a 700r but is a 4L60e a better choice? Don't really understand the "lock up" converter stuff but the guy that'll be building it for me said that's how the 700r would work so I guess it's not really o/d? Just curious.

 

The 4L60E is an Electronic, computer controlled shift version of the 700R4. Otherwise they are essentially the same 4 speed overdrive with a lockup torque converter. With the old non-lockup style transmissions, the t.c. has a small amount of internal slip between the vanes. It's a fluid drive, so it's considered normal. With the lockup, you still get internal slip, until the lockup clutch engages and essentially turns the torque converter into an internally locked together unit. From the factory, that occurs after the trans goes into O/D. Yours is going to be a custom application, so you guy will most likely be using an aftermarket controller for the lockup function. You can wire the lockup with a simple toggle switch, but you have to either rig an override switch at the brake pedal, or switch it off manually. If you don't, the engine will kill at a stop, just like not disengaging a manual trans.

 

I'd love to put a 700r4 in my Austin gasser, but my driveline is already pretty short, and I don't want to make it even shorter!

 

Beautiful. Thanks Camaro69, that explains a lot, please excuse my ignorance. I was aware of the toggle switch needed for the lockup, it's not a huge issue to need that but was curious if that could be avoided using a 4l60e. Shoulda known that it was computer controlled being a newer type of trans. Appreciate the insight. Guess I'll have to start looking for a place to cut the driveshaft down as needed for the 700r. Thanks again sir.

 

I've been told the 200r is the same length as a th350, but they're impossible to find used in a Chevy around here.

 

I can somewhat relate Val, I am not real excited about having to buy a new trans for this Camaro. The TH350 in it is absolutely rock solid and shifts so beautiful! Now, I've got to mess with the driveshaft also. Not that I HAVE to do it, know I'll regret it if I don't. The guy building it for me is giving me a decent deal so guess I'll just suck it up and get it done and here.