I hope you guys can bear with me, I've got a few questions...

My situation: Remember this is a frame off restoration. There was no wiring in my car before this weekend. I tried to put in my new engine harness, the old front light harness, refurbished fuse box, and tail light harness.

I think I routed everything correctly on the new engine harness, because there were no directions or pictures were included. So I kind of just matched up the old harness locations to the new one. The old harness was a '69 externally regulated w/ points resistor wire, and I bought a replacement harness that is internally regulated with HEI to the coil (12v I assume).

The only thing I wanted to get accomplished was to make the starter engage via the key and not the remote switch I had been using up till now.

I installed the steering column, hooked up what I thought was the correct set of wires for the steering column to signal the starter, and I got nothing.

1) What is the minimal wiring harness I need to be able to test the kicking over of the starter? Right now I don't have any gauges or dash parts hooked up. I have the fuse box in place, the headlight switch in the dash hooked up, the steering column long turn-signal plug plugged in, the gear selector switch on the steering column hooked up, and the taillight wiring harness plugged in.

2) What are the proper spots on the FGF for ground straps? I put one between the passenger rear head bolt and the firewall, but I was unsure where the others go. Is there one between the engine and the front subframe?

3) On the fuse box, the upper left fuse is not hooked up to anything internally inside the box. It just runs from the constant hot, across the fuse to a connector. Is this supposed to be used for accessories that need constant power?

Thanks for any help you guys can give,
Thomas

Thomas -

Are you sure that the neutral safety or clutch safety switch are correctly set? If it's a '69, the steering column has to be rotated fully counter clockwise to engage the switch.

Q

Another ground strap runs between the RH subframe rail just under the firewall to side of the firewall opening for the middle RH subframe mount.

Q, I thought about that neutral safety switch this morning, and I'll definitely check that out tonight. So on the outside of the column, rotate that little circle knob near the steering rag joint counterclockwise (up), correct?

Thomas -

Sitting in the drivers seat, with the key on, rotate the outer column counter clock-wise (as you look at it) until it stops. (The part that rotates is just forward of the part where the key/switch is.)

From the engine compartment, it's the part of the column with the ear coming off it that the back-drive link attaches to (look for the plastic bushing below and to the left of the PB booster. From that side, it must be rotated clock-wise, pulling the ear all the way "up."

Q,

Thanks! We were talking about the same thing, you just described it much better.

So, in order to test the starter with minimal underdash wiring, I should be able to just connect that one switch on the steering column near the firewall, actuate the outer steering column to the correct position, and then turn the key, correct?

Thomas,
I didn't see you mention it; do you have the front headlamp harness installed yet? Without it, nothing is powered except the starter motor itself. The ignition switch to starter solenoid would have no power. All vehicle + power comes off a wire off the battery through a radiator support mounted junction block to the regulator and alternator via that front harness.
Jim

Jim,

Yes, I did install the front headlamp harness into the fuse box too.

I don't know you are referencing your '68, but my '69 has no junction box that is mounted to the front radiator support on the front headlight harness.

From what I can tell the front headlamp harness does only that, send power to the lights. The alternator and regulator on my old harness were on the engine harness.

Was the '68 that different from the '69?

Thomas,sorry - I just checked the '69 wiring diagram and don't see the junction block. Curious because both Classic and Ames show them for all three years.

On the '68 two leads come off the positive battery cable. One is the big cable to the starter motor. The other is a thick wire that goes to a junction block on the core support in front of the battery. Everything on the car is powered off that point except the big-draw starter motor.
Jim

Follow up question:

I got a new 8-gauge amp wiring kit. It has 17 keet of power lead. I am looking for suggestions on how to run the lead fromteh battery back to the trunk.

I removed the A/C blower motor that was in the fender well due to the installation of a Vintage Air system, and I put in a block off plate. Would you guys/gals recommend running the wire from the batterym, between the inner and outer fenders, through the block-off plate, down to the kick panel, down the rocker panel channel, and into the trunk?

If so, how am I supposed to go from the block-off plate in the cowl area into the kick panel area? I can't really go through the big hole there because the kick panel has a piece that goes into that hole. Ideas? Suggestions?

Print this out in color and hang it on the wall near your car. (Tape the two pieces together).

http://userweb.suscom.net/~jasonrogers/69firebirdwiring.htm

I have replaced all the harnesses in my 69 and find it invaluable. I actually just put in a new front headlight wiring harness and engine harness the other day. Connected everything up and plugged them both into firewall. Went to turn key and nothing - no interior lights, no ignition, nothing. Totally bummed I checked all my connections by referencing the diagram. Still nothing. Unplugged the harnesses from the firewall and viola! The main power lead's (big fat black and red wire)terminal was bent flat - thus not going into the fuse box. Straightened it out and plugged it back in and it fired right up and all lights/ horns/ signals are working as well. Good luck - I hate electrical issues