Beater wont start

[TURBOWHT]

Its a 88 oldsmobile delta. I came home the other day, and was inside for only about a minute went back out to leave and started it and it started then sputtered then died. I tried to start it again and it just turns over. After you stop trying to turn it over it will backfire and shake like it wants to start. It smells like gas but it just will not fire. what do you guys think is wrong? or what can i check for. Im going to check compression but is there anything else besides maybe the timing being off that could be wrong with it?

[belittle]

10 bucks on the distributor.

[TURBOWHT]

How the heck can I check that?

[belittle]

How the heck can I check that?

Pull a spark plug off and see if it sparks. If it's not sparking it can only be a few things.

[ZacFields]

Take it out back and shoot it. You ever see October Sky? "Die you son of a bitch!"

j/k

I'm sure you've thought of this already, but I realized when we bought Ashley's old talon that people tend to overlook the concept of changing the air filter in cars. The first time I changed that thing you could have buried a dog with all the dirt in it.

I don't know if that's the problem, but you say you smell gas so I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's either not getting air or it's not getting spark. Like previously stated, check the distributor. Checking the spark plugs themselves couldn't hurt either.

[TURBOWHT]

I put new plugs and wires on it about 2-3 months ago. Ill check to see if its getting spark tomorrow, hard to do it by yourself.