So, I'm putting my dash and related back together now and would like to do some electrical testing - radio, dash lights, horns, blower, etc.  I dropped in my battery (yes, it's fully charged and there's 13V at the terminals), but nothing's happening.  I was expecting buzzers to start buzzing and lights to light up, but I think since the motor's out I'll have to connect up the main hot cable to some of the other wires at the starter location.  I checked the main pos cable where it connects to the starter and there is 13V between it and ground.  So if I connect that cable to the red wire terminal at the starter (it's got two fusible links) will that energize most of the other circuits in the car?  

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That should power up the interior, at least, but might also power up the rest of the car. You may also need to ground the wires in the harness that normally bolt to a bellhousing bolt, in the same area of the starter. There should be at least one black wire, with an eyelet in that harness...there may be two. That will give you a ground loop for the interior harness. Don't ground any wires that are not black. Don't shoot 12v to the purple wire at the starter.The red(pink) wires, with the large eyelet(and the fuse-links) at the starter are indeed the power wires for the car, from the starter.

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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
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Thanks, Joel.  Glad to know it is as I suspected, but I wouldn't have thought to ground the black wire(s) at the starter first.  I'll do that now.   I've seen other posts about the purple starter wire, but I don't have a wire that's obviously purple.  I think it's a big (10 or 12 ga) blackish/redish wire that has a small eyelet at the starter end and goes to the upper firewall.  Does that sound like the "purple" wire?   

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Yeah...dat's prolly it. Wire colors can change over time, or they can be replaced. As long as it has the small eyelet, that's prolly the one.

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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

It worked!  I've got buzzers buzzing and lights lighting now.  Thanks again, Joel.

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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"