Classic/Antique Car Repair: Charging System, laughling, trouble in my life

Question
Firtst Jim I think I must give you some bacground on a situation that started my problem. But first no laughling, I do and have got into a lot of trouble in my life. I consider myself a pretty good mechanic also.  I ahve several muscle cars, but on this occasion I decided to clean the engine like I have done back in the 60's. I presoaked the enging with some degreaser and then took my high pressure and cleaned the engine. As expected it took me a few minutes to dry the dist. and get the engine to fire. I pull the car around front to wait for the wife as we were going to drive the Cheby to cruise in that evening. The car gave me a lot of trouble in starting again. I managed to drive approx 200 ft. and it stopped. Being as smart as I am I decided to use started fluid to dry the coil and dist. I knew it evaroprates fast. So I waited until I thought it had all evaroprated. The wife said it would catch fire, but I said try it. As she said the engine compartment in rear of the engine did catch fire. I was able to put it out without any damage I thought. I concluded that I had fried the coil, so on went a new coil and that did the job. The car run beautiful for a while and the red light for the Charging system came on. I had Auto Zone test the alternator and it tested bad, so on went a new alt. Red light still on. I removed the cover from the regulator and with a screwer, I could push in the contacts and make the red light go out. So on went a new voltage regulator. Guess what Red light stayed on. Again I removed the regulator cover and I could push in on the contacts and the red light would go out. Using a didgital volt ohm meter, wtih the postive lead on the battery terminal on the alt. and ground I could only read 12.5 volts, push in on the contacts on the reg it would jump up to nearly 14 volts. The contacts would stay in as long as the car is running, but when I turned it off and started it again the contacts would stay open with no charging. Push the contacts in and bingo charging.  Any ideas on how to solve my problem.
Thanks
Jerry with starter fluid.  

Answer
 Hea Jim;
     You have a new alt. and a new reg. and a coil , what do you get going to the batt. as far as charging voltage ? it should be at least 13+ and did you try do pull off a battery cable when its running ? if it dies the alt. is not putting out enough to keep the system going. and how good is your batt. did you check the battery too.and as far as all the new stuff it still could be bad as it is only a part and at times I have had 4 starters go bad before I got a good one.And that is another thing have you had any trouble with the starter> , I would check all of the charging system out first and the battery, than the starter, I also had a box of 12 sets of points all bad. so you could have a bad alt. ?