71 Mach shut down

[sca5234]

If you're gonna buy a new battery cable anyways, you can buy a reproduction one that runs from the battery to the fender apron to the block. I'm running this set.

It matched the stock ones I pulled off very closely. Anything past that is gonna be you cobbling something together just like the "electrician" did before you.

https://www.cjponyparts.com/cj-clas...-air-conditioning-351ho-351-1972-1973/p/BC14/

Ahh thanks for this! now this will feed my I can't just get one thing from this store mentality and browse some more

 

[giantpune]

This is one of those pictures where the longer you look at it, the worse it gets.
Did he cut a section out of an orange household extension cord for this? I will bet money you will eventually find a blue plastic electrical box with a 120AC light switch and some red/yellow wire nuts somewhere in the wiring of this car.

Interior dome light is gonna be an overhead light fixture from lowes.

 

[sca5234]

This is one of those pictures where the longer you look at it, the worse it gets.
Did he cut a section out of an orange household extension cord for this? I will bet money you will eventually find a blue plastic electrical box with a 120AC light switch and some red/yellow wire nuts somewhere in the wiring of this car.

Interior dome light is gonna be an overhead light fixture from lowes.

This is one of those pictures where the longer you look at it, the worse it gets.
Did he cut a section out of an orange household extension cord for this? I will bet money you will eventually find a blue plastic electrical box with a 120AC light switch and some red/yellow wire nuts somewhere in the wiring of this car.

Interior dome light is gonna be an overhead light fixture from lowes.

View attachment 92183

Haha wait till I get home and I'll take pictures of the things I took out but that was ran to the front of the grill where a hand switch that started the car. I'm going to include these exterior pictures and inside as they actually help ease the pain of looking at that lol

 

[sca5234]

This is one of those pictures where the longer you look at it, the worse it gets.
Did he cut a section out of an orange household extension cord for this? I will bet money you will eventually find a blue plastic electrical box with a 120AC light switch and some red/yellow wire nuts somewhere in the wiring of this car.

Interior dome light is gonna be an overhead light fixture from lowes.

View attachment 92183

As promised here is the box of stuff I have removed as that extension cord went to electrical two button switch below which was right by the hood latch to turn the car over. The other picture was the kill switch that was underneath the dash. Have to find the blue print he created with the everything he did

 

[Cleveland Crush]

As promised here is the box of stuff I have removed as that extension cord went to electrical two button switch below which was right by the hood latch to turn the car over. The other picture was the kill switch that was underneath the dash. Have to find the blue print he created with the everything he did

IF I'm understanding correctly, that Yellow two button was used in lieu of the factory ingntion switch ??!!

 

[sca5234]

IF I'm understanding correctly, that Yellow two button was used in lieu of the factory ingntion switch ??!!

Could use both, he just wired that so he could work on the car from the front easier.

 

[cv_72mustang]

Why why why..... Ripping that rats nest out must have been satisfying !

 

[Cleveland Crush]

Could use both, he just wired that so he could work on the car from the front easier.

OK understand. The previous owner really took an underhood remote starter switch to a "hole nother" level !

 

[Hemikiller]

Nothing says quality like wire nuts and electrical tape

 

[giantpune]

Why why why..... Ripping that rats nest out must have been satisfying !

Until his car stopped working.

From the way he described it, I think when OP removed the rats net of wiring, he may have pulled a wire that caused the alternator to stop charging the battery. From then on, he was driving on just whatever life was left in the battery. Once he drove that 1000ft from the house, the battery finally ran out of juice and the car died.

 

[cjstaci]

I’ve seen some bad wiring but this takes the cake. If it were me, I would rip all of that wiring out and start fresh. The guy that wired all of that should have been electrocuted. You’re lucky the car died where it did and not on the freeway or any other unsafe location.

 

[basstrix]

https://www.cjponyparts.com/cj-clas...-air-conditioning-351ho-351-1972-1973/p/BC14/

I'll 2nd the recommendation for this cable set. This is the heavy duty version....worth the extra few bucks.

 

[PeteG41]

If its in the budget I would get it completely rewired. I am dealing with the same problem in mine (although visually yours is much worse), and started from scratch. PO spliced into sections of wiring, used whatever color was on hand, and gave me all kinds of issues. On top of that, distinct burning smell coming from under the dash. Think of replacing all of it as an insurance policy not to go up in flames on the side of the road.

 

[sca5234]

I'll 2nd the recommendation for this cable set. This is the heavy duty version....worth the extra few bucks.

Yes I ordered these the other night!

 

[sca5234]

Until his car stopped working.

From the way he described it, I think when OP removed the rats net of wiring, he may have pulled a wire that caused the alternator to stop charging the battery. From then on, he was driving on just whatever life was left in the battery. Once he drove that 1000ft from the house, the battery finally ran out of juice and the car died

Until his car stopped working.

From the way he described it, I think when OP removed the rats net of wiring, he may have pulled a wire that caused the alternator to stop charging the battery. From then on, he was driving on just whatever life was left in the battery. Once he drove that 1000ft from the house, the battery finally ran out of juice and the car died.

I did the removal process in September of last year and have been driving the car regularly. Something was bound to be missed by me from what I started with it But this weekend I'm going to work on getting those grounds properly installed along with pulling back some wiring to see what we look like . I had the jumpers on it last night but all I could get was the starter solenoid clicking away.

 

[sca5234]

If its in the budget I would get it completely rewired. I am dealing with the same problem in mine (although visually yours is much worse), and started from scratch. PO spliced into sections of wiring, used whatever color was on hand, and gave me all kinds of issues. On top of that, distinct burning smell coming from under the dash. Think of replacing all of it as an insurance policy not to go up in flames on the side of the road.

Yeah it's exhausted me last year. I thought I was in a good place but with the input of others I have ground issues I need to resolve and to spend some more time on the wiring in general

 

[sca5234]

Why why why..... Ripping that rats nest out must have been satisfying !

Satisfying yes! Tedious as all hell also yes haha

 

[sca5234]

Update folks!! I got the cables recommended from CJ pony parts and worked on rewiring everything that looked like it needed some TLC . I grounded everything I possibly could I even grounded my kids just for extra measure. And after everything she started cranking up with some ferocity. So looks like it was a success! Thanks everyone for the insight and help. I'm sure I'll be inquiring again as your all saw what I started with!