OK... hopefully someone here can help me with my issue...  in my '55
coupe if the car sits for any length of time, it takes a couple cranks
to get fuel up to the carburetor.  Often the battery will run down
after only 3 or 4 cranks but then when I bring out a booster pack it
will start right up and run great from there on.  This is a standard
'63 289 with an Avanti automatic starter on it, all stock except for
newer Carter AFB carb and MoPar electronic ignition conversion.  I am
using a 12V starter solenoid with an added ballast bypass wire, and the
coil is intended for use with an external ballast (just to eliminate
the obvious questions.)

Now here's the puzzler.  The starter that was on the car when I bought
it shows 300A of current draw.  I found another starter (same part
number) in JP's stash and swapped it out, it also shows a high current
draw, sometimes spiking up to 400A and if you let it crank a bit it
drops down to 200A steady state.  Just to check the calibration of the
meter, I tried my '62 Daytona and it draws 100A, although it has the
standard 3-pole starter not the Avanti starter.  I don't know how well
that gauge is calibrated but it is clear that the Daytona's starter
does draw significantly less current than the one in the '55.

I tried setting the timing with a light (it was a couple degrees
advanced from the index) and it didn't make any difference in starter
current draw.

is this normal?  Do I just need a bigger battery?  (I hope not, then I
would have to find a Hawk battery tray, hold down, etc.)  Or do I have
two bad starters?  Anything else I ought to check before taking my
starter to the auto electric shop?

thanks,

nate