non starting engine

[BrianLas]

My dad's thunderbird isn't starting. It will turn over but will not fire. I put some gas into the carb, to see if the engine was getting any fuel. Right away it started and ran until that little amount of fuel ran out (1-2 seconds)

What I think is that the problem is with the carburetor or the fuel pump(maybe just a clog in the line.) Does this sound accurate and if so, is there an easy way he or I could check?

The car ran fine just about 3 weeks ago

[MagicRat]

Try disconnecting the fuel line where it enters the carb. Have someone crank the engine over. If fuel comes out of the line, then change the carb fuel filter, attach the line and see if ity starts.
If it does not start, remove the top of the carb and check the float bowl for a float stuck in the 'up' position.

If no fuel comes out of the line when cranking, check for gas in the tank (don't laugh, my '68 T-bird tank sprung a leak a few years ago and dumped all its gas over a 3 week timeframe.)
Then check for a pinched, rusty, leaking or disconnected fuel line.
If the line is okay, its probably a bad fuel pump, or a clogged pick up screen in the gas tank.