tonight i had some trouble with the ignition switch. when i let go of the key the engine shuts off. If I hold the key so that its a little bit less than the start position it stays on. Is there an adjustment for the switch. It seems to be moving to the off position when I let go of the key.

The problem is almost certainly a dead ballast resistor. "Cranks and starts but dies as soon as you let go of the key" is almost always a dead ballast resistor. If you replace the ballast resistor and it still happens, then replace the ignition switch, which cannot be adjusted.

I second that opinion

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

thanks for the help.
is the ballast resistor also sometimes referred to as the coil resistor?

Yep, ballast resistor = coil resistor.

On the other hand, I have never had a ballast resister fail, but have had several ignition switches fail.

Try shorting across the ballast resister to see if the car will start when using the key. If it does then replace the ballast resister.

Or you can turn key to "on" and short across the starter relay. If it starts then change the ignition switch.

But don't run it for long like that; you'll burn up the points and quite possibly the coil.
That doesn't make any sense. He's not having a problem cranking the engine using the ignition switch.

Just turn the key to "on" and check to see if you have +12V at the input to the ballast resistor. If there is none then trace back to the switch and repair the wiring or replace the switch as ness. Jumping the starter terminals isnt really going to eliminate either cause.

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

Sometimes an ignition switch will fail in a way that allows it to deliver 12 volts to the ballast resister in crank, but not in run position. It will also fail in a way the will deliver 12V in run postion but not in the crank position, even though it cranks the engine fine. I have had ignition switches, and ballast resisters fail. You can keep a spare ballast resister in the glove compartment, and change it in 5 minutes. My 360 Dart has a once-in-a blue moon habit of failing to deliver 12V in crank position, so I wired a momentary contact toggle switch in the dash to bypass the ignition switch if she fails to start. It was simpler than taking the steering column apart. One time when this happened, it cranked, and cranked, and then finally cured itself just in time to create an enormous back fire that scared the crap out of me. I had the bypass wired in the next day.

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69 Dart Swinger, 230 ci slant, t-5 five speed, intercooled turbo, 4 wheel disk brakes, tubular upper control arms.

Problem solved. Coil resistor was it.

Thanks veryone