lefty1,
so if you have a failed ballast resistor and you have the starter bypass switch, the symptoms are really classic. The engine will fire or start while cranking and then immediately die. I will attest to having the unfortunate experience of having a failed ballast resistor. They are not prone to failure but everything component is the possible site of failure.
I think the 12 volt design with the bypass switch was very clever. It always gave the best possible spark delivery at cranking time.
