Hello. So as a "covid project" I decided to drag my old 1968 250 SL out of the barn and attempt to restore it to drivable condition. When I last drove it - over 15 years ago, it ran fine. My first tasks in the restoration was to drain all fluids: gas, oil, coolant, etc. Some mice had gotten to some of the wiring, so I repaired what I could, replaced spark plug cables, etc. I replaced the spark plugs, squirting a bit of oil into the cylinders as I went along. I manually turned the engine to insure that it wasn't seized. It moved remarkably easily. I replaced all of the fluids (The radiator, unsurprisingly, is leaking - but that will be another topic). I figured that it was safe to try to turn it over. I left the old battery in and hooked up a battery charger to the terminals. I turmed the key, heard what I assume is the fuel pump humming lightly. The lights worked. I tried several times to start the car. The starter moaned - it would crank once every few seconds, then I'd hear a click and it would die out. I'd let it sit a minute and try again, with the same result. I tried it maybe 5 times with the same result. The battery charger has plenty of amps, so I doubt that it was a power issue. So, my question is: Do I have a bad starter? Is it possible that there's something that has the engine not quite seized but kind of stuck? Is there a potential electrical issue?
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thank you.
