[shad88]

I am trying to get a 55 chevy started by bypassing the factory electrical. I have run the usual switches and wires between coil and battery. I sprayed starter fluid in carb and it fired right up the other day. I finally got to wiring up the electic fuel pump today. I tried to start it and the battery was dead. I hooked up one end of jumper cables to my truck and went to hook up other end to car. Didn't realize the neg battery cable was red and pos was black. Since I was in a hurry I hooked cables to wrong post and got a huge spark. Oops! Once I got it right and charged the car won't start. I'm assuming I fried either the coil or something in distributor? I'm a novice, so please explain things like your talking to a 10 year old. Thanks for any help.

[LATECH]

With the flyback voltage possible in the system , you may have burnt the condenser for the ignition system. I am assuming you are using an OE points setup?
If you are running a electronic Ignition or box or whatever, you probably fried it . If you have no lights or starter action or anything, then you burnt a fuse or fuses , or fusible link, or melted the + feed off at the horn relay, once again I am assuming you are using the OE wiring.
Maybe you could be more specific of what equiptment your car has, and a little better description of the actual problem would help, like : cranks , no start,
or
does not crank has no lights on dash but headlights work (or not)
?????????????

[shad88]

Thanks for the reply. I figured out I fried the fusible link in my bypass wiring set up. Changed it out and it fired right up!