I just rebuilt my motor and tranny and before i had the 305 crossfire and now i converted to carb. i used an edebrock intake and carb and i took out all of my wiring and i went to start the car but i seem to have to luck. the car turns over but it wont start. i have the timing correct(i think) put it on TDC and had the distributor at number one but when to turn the key nothing. i have fuel(the filter does not stay full) i have a clear filter before the carb and its not full i see the fuel build up but not stay full. is that my problem? i was looking at my wiring diagram and and it says i have and ignition wire that goes from the battery to somewhere on the passenger side of the car into the dashboard. the whole wiring harness on that side is gone. i dont know what the wire is for but the car doesnt start. any help is needed.

Start with the basics:

Does the carb get fuel into it? An easy way to check is to look into the carb barrels (when you aren't trying to start it) and open the throttle. Do you see fuel squirting into the barrels?

Are you getting spark? You need to check this while cranking. You can either pull off a spark plug wire and hold it close to a ground while someone cranks it, or have a loose plug on the wire, with the plug metal body grounded to the engine while cranking, and you should see the plug sparking. If not, do you have battery voltage at the coil?

What kind of distributor did you use? What are you using for a fuel pump?