Ok first the scenario. 1973 350 auto coupe

It's seriously an emergency and I'm turning to CF

It's almost done. I even heard it turn over today. I'm am still an absolute novice so I desperately need your help. My friend has moved out but i was keeping the vette at his driveway. Things came up and they were forced to leave due to some violation of contract. They are threatening to tow the car.

I have a drive train straight out of a perfectly good running crashed vette. I took the wiring harness(es) from the trashed vette and put it all in best to my ability in the current vette. Installed the motor wired everything up and get nothing. I simply said ok I will try a few things but be careful. I took a wire that was cut from the inner post on the starter and put it on the positive center cable on the center post of the starter and once the battery engaged it started turning over without doing anything to the key or even the on position. I've come to the conclusion that this is because there is nothing to disconnect the power. I'm trying to figure out how to get the key to work.

The steering column is unattached and drops down. When i turn the key a visible wire moves up and down and goes into a female end of some wires. There are 2 pieces that go the female end from the new(er) harness. I plug those in. From there there is an orange wire which has a red wire spliced out of it that leads to the inner post on the solenoid.

I am pretty sure something is wrong there. any clarification would be fantastic. A note on that part is that the female end of the steering column hasn't been used in ages. (15 yrs)? I have the female end from the donor vette which I plan to swap tomorrow for more of a guarantee. I have a wiring diagram in an aim book. I got it at autozone and is not nearly as helpful as I'd like it to be. I need help with the grounds. So far only ground I'm sure is correct is the one at the battery terminal itself. There is what appears to be a ground wire the size of a battery cable underneath the right motor mount and it appears to be just long enough to reach the starter. Where does this go?

Where are the grounds??????

Please help as I need it out tomorrow.

I just need it to be able to go 15 miles so I can be at ease knowing my baby is safe.

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE CFF

 

Zarifian,

The big black earth wire under the right engine mount goes to the engine block and is secured to it by the same bolt that holds the starter support bracket. Make sure that star washers are used so that they bite into the steel and cast iron and you get good electrical conduct. This wire is your return path for the electrons to get from your starter back to the battery.

Can't help you from this side of the equator, but surely there's someone nearby who can help.

Regards from Down Under

aussiejohn

 

Find a friend with a trailer or rent one. Push come to shove, call a towing company with a roll back. Move the car, then sort out your electrical problems. Be careful of a possible electrical fire hazard.

 

If you have Collector Car insurance (hagerty, etc), call them to see if they have roadside service. Hagerty does and will provide a tow up to 10 miles for no charge; more than 10 miles, you pay the difference...still a great deal in an emergency.

 

Getting to crank is one thing, getting to start, run & drive is another.. just tow it now so you can take your time to sort it all out..

 

Thanks so much for all of your help, It was to urgent a scenario to mode the car so I went to a local speed shop where they showed me how to basically hot wire the car, hooked up the hei abd was just goo. Car ran but obviously nothing else works. Got everything working today except for the brakes. The rear lines were cut for some reason and after plugging them with screws and bleeding the fronts out the brakes still don't work. I have a feeling this is a result of 20 year old unused pistons in my calipers abd will be tediously switching them for a fresher pair tomorrow.