THE PLT OF A PA28 FOUND THAT THERE WAS NO FUEL AVAILABLE AT THE ARPT SO HE DECIDED TO FLY TO A NEARBY ARPT TO REFUEL. HOWEVER; THE FUEL REMAINING IN THE L TANK WAS MUCH LESS THAN HE HAD CALCULATED AND THE ENG QUIT AFTER LEVELOFF. HE WAS ABLE TO SWITCH TANKS AND RESTART THE ENG AND CONTINUE TO THE FUEL STOP. REF ACN 384696.

Narrative

I CALLED THE ARPT THAT I WAS PLANNING TO DEPART FROM LATER IN THE DAY AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY HAD NOT RECEIVED THEIR FUEL DELIVERY; SO NO FUEL WAS AVAILABLE. BASED ON THE LENGTH OF THE FLT OF 2 DAYS PRIOR I ESTIMATED THAT THERE WAS APPROX 2 HRS OF FUEL REMAINING IN THE TANKS. DURING THE PRIOR FLT I ALSO REMEMBERED SWITCHING AWAY FROM A FUEL TANK THAT HAD INDICATED 5 GALS REMAINING; AND EXPERIENCE HAD SHOWN THAT THE ACFT BURNED APPROX 8 GPH. AS THERE WAS FUEL AVAILABLE AT AN ARPT 20 MI AWAY I DECIDED TO TAKE THIS IFR FLT FIRST RATHER THAN PROCEEDING TO MY FINAL DEST; 120 MI AWAY. AT THE ARPT I LOOKED INSIDE EACH FUEL TANK. I WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THERE WAS SOME FUEL IN EACH TANK; BUT COULD NOT ESTIMATE HOW MUCH. THE FUEL GAUGES WERE INDICATING LOWER THAN I REMEMBERED WHEN I HAD LEFT (AND WHEN I SWITCHED FROM 1 TANK LAST). I DECIDED TO TKOF. SOON AFTER REACHING THE CRUISE ALT OF 6000 FT THE ENG STOPPED RUNNING. I TURNED ON CARB HEAT; FUEL PUMP; AND SWITCHED FUEL TANKS TO THE R TANK. AFTER LOSING APPROX 500 FT THE ENG RESTARTED. I INFORMED ATC THAT THE ENG HAD STOPPED; BUT HAD RESTARTED AND THAT I WANTED TO IMMEDIATELY PROCEED TOWARDS THE DEST (APPROX 10 MI AT THIS POINT). I WAS GIVEN VECTORS AND PERMISSION TO DSND. ATC ALSO SUGGESTED CARB HEAT AT THAT POINT. USING GPS AND THE VECTOR I DSNDED AND WAS ABLE TO BREAK OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND SPOT THE ARPT AND LAND. UPON LNDG THE L FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY. AS I AM SURE THAT HAD BEEN MORE FUEL 2 DAYS BEFORE; I BELIEVE THAT SOME FUEL HAD BEEN SIPHONED OUT BY SOMEONE ELSE WHO NEEDED FUEL AND COULD NOT GET ANY AT THE DEP ARPT. THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY A LACK OF TRUST OF FUEL GAUGES; AS WELL AS THE DIFFICULTY IN ESTIMATING SMALL AMOUNTS OF FUEL. I HAD NO WAY TO KNOW; BY LOOKING IN THE TANK; IF THERE WERE 2 GALS OR 5 GALS IN THE TANK; ESPECIALLY WHEN THE ACFT WAS ON HILL WITH THE NOSE SOMEWHAT UPWARDS.