first I'm new to this site but, I've already tried to find as many topic as i could on here. i have a 72 1.7 carburated. I went and had my oil change a couple of weeks ago, i should have done it myself. well anyway the guy that took it into the shop didn't know how to start it he kept trying to push the pedal through the floor and it would stick on the floor board. when i was leaving the car didn't really want to stay running. when i got home i starting looking for possible causes and found the trans ground strap was loose. after that it wouldn't start. went through ignition and fuel which are all good. i did notice that my right side carb is black, like a back fire through the carb. i don't have a compression tester any suggestions

You started in the right place. Your basics. Check you ground terminals. Check fuel pressure and timing but before you try to start it again, adjust your valves. You can't tune the carbs until all of that is done. What carbs are they?

it's got twin solex single barrels, fuel pressure is good, could probabley use a new filter

I love those. You should get great gas mileage. We had a 1.7 get 49 MPG. Anyway I would suspect that you have an intake valve that is not closing all the way or something worse. But you need to have intake closing all the way inorder to adjust the carbs properly. Can you pull the plugs and post a pic of the electroids.

well i could but, i cleaned them today they were a dry black.