Honda Repair: 1988 accord lx, bran new, brass metal

Question
I 20 and i just bought a 1988 Honda accord lx . they said it ran when they parked it but then it wouldn't run a few months later. Well it seems to have fuel going to the carb but it wont even fire when starting fluid it spayed into it. the spark plugs have sparks and the alternator is bran new. What could be the problem?

Answer
Micheal, now that you found out that it has fuel, check to see if there is spark. There is an external ignition coil that is common for failing. Remove the distributor cap and have your friend turn the engine over while the cap is off the car. Does the rotor turn? If not, your timing belt is toast and needs to be replaced. If so, inspect the distributor cap at the connections for corrosion. Clean this cap up well. Take a small file to the rotor as well and give it a couple of swipes to improve the connectivity on the brass/metal part/tip. Verify all spark plugs are connected and in the right firing order. Hope this helps you.