In rec.autos.tech, on Wed, 5 Jul 2017 08:52:08 -0700, The Real Bev
wrote:

On 07/05/2017 07:45 AM, micky wrote:

2) I learned to not pour eveything into the gas tank and save some for
the carburetor. I'd guess between a quarter and an eighth of a cup,
maybe less. That always worked well.

We always did that. Never a fire.

I think I tried starter fluid
earlier, but maybe the car didn't run as long on starter fluid as it did
on gasoline.

Long ago we bought a motorhome that had been sitting for quite a while.
We drove it home slowly, but it didn't have enough power (marginal
fuel pump, maybe?) to make it up the "hill" out of the railroad
underpass. BUT by feeding starting fluid direct to the carb (engine is
right there between the front seats) we made it out.

Wow, what a great story, and I'm impressed that you thought of it.

How long were you stuck in the underpass before you thought of it?

The closest I have is the '67 Pontiac, I think it was, that for a while
wouldnt' start on cold days. I'd get out, brush the snow off the hood
so it wouldn't shut again after I opened it, and spray in starting
fluid, and then rush back to the driver's seat to start the car before
the vapors escaped (not sure if that really happened, but seemed
likely.)

This was a nuisance, so I put a little plastic tube in some aquarium
tubing which went through the firewall into the glove comparment where I
put the can of starting fluid. This worked great for the whole cold
part of the winter.