I plan on testing with test light and multi meter with the wires on and off. The negative battery is on the alternator bracket and inner fender and are in good shape. Heading to work and will have to get to it this afternoon I hope.
testing WITH the wire on the solenoid will put the "load" on the circuit and cause the intermittent current drop which your bypass circuit is going around. A ground issue is also a possibility especially if it is able to supply just enough current to compensate for the bad ground. But I'm thinking more on the + side
Do keep us posted
I tried to find the ignition wire from the starter to the firewall. Yeah, that's going to be a PITA to follow as it's in some wrapped bundle of wires. I am thinking it's on the + side as well since the jumper wire from the fuse box to the starter works every time. I almost considered taking the jumper wire from the fuse box and taking the end going to the starter and putting that on the NSS and leaving the ignition from the column on the NSS as well. Basically using the wire that works and disconnecting the NSS to solenoid factory wire. The only thing that concerns me on that is the connector on the NSS is two wire connectors side by side in a plastic end that slips onto the two tabs (1 connector with two wires in it, trying to explain it easier). Unlike the reverse that is two wires with two separate connectors. I could find a connector that will go on the NSS and snip the factory wires and do it that way, but not a fan of that. What are your opinions on that? I think it would tell me for sure if the NSS to solenoid factory wire is bad.
