Motor is perfect now to play with the wiring.

Car would start and randomly shut off, jiggled some wires around the bulkhead and it would run, move the car a little it would shut down. So I pulled the bulkhead off and found some 30 year old burnt wires (thick black wire, ammeter/alternator, and black wire with white line, horn). Pulled the connectors off and bulkhead replaced the connectors and burnt portions of wires... car wont even start (turns over but doesn't start). Chasing more gremlins i noticed some useless wires (temp, wiper washer motor, and oil) randomly attached to nothing or buried in electrical tape, make shift wires spliced in and out etc. So i pulled the whole middle harness, took off all tape, printed a wiring diagram followed it to the tee (except the violet wire that runs from starter relay to horn) and car still wont start

I have a mallory ignition. I've bypassed the ballast too. Not sure what to do with the dark blue wire that runs to the + coil so i put it back on the coil (hoping it would complete the circuit).

Ideas? Suggestions?

Once the ammeter wire gets burnt,you need to check for spark while cranking.Do you use the stock ammeter or aftermarket?Did the bulkhead melt a little?Check the harness to the ignition switch and that you have power to the ignition system in the crank and rest position of the ign switch.

burned just around the ammeter on the connector and bulkhead. I removed the ammeter wires earlier today just make sure the meter itself wasnt bad, i put fused link between the two wires

Kinda funny but this is the third time I referred this thread http://www.madelectrical.com/electricaltech/amp-gauges.shtml. I think you need to do this so your car doesn't end up a charcoal briquet

i know the ammeter may be part of the problem but would it explain the sudden in ability to not run. It ran fine 2 weeks ago now it just doesn't? Did 30 years of burnt wire just finally catch up to it? I may try this upgrade 2moro as it seems like it may solve some long term probs.

what happened to the brown wire that went to the ballast resistor ? If you do not have it hooked up the coil will not have any voltage during cranking ...

ok, so i did the madelectric.com thing and still no success.

the brown wire still runs to the ballast.

any chance i could have burned another ignition box or maybe a coil? I've got a multimeter but kinda unsure of how to use it