After 2 months of redoing the interior in my 72, I could see the end....   until..   this morning when in my excitement I put the cables on the battery BACKWARDS... a small pop, little burnt smell coming from up around my headlights, and I have no power, not even to my clock! I've checkd the fuses under the dashboard, looked for an inline fuse, checked the wiring around the starter and the headlights.. and nothing...   PLEASE PLEASE can anyone help ....     

Feeling stupid in Georgia!

Check your fuse links, by the starter, for 12v on both sides, and also, the horn relay on the pass.side fenderwell for 12v. The horn relay is also a common juntion for 12v going into the fuse box. There should be a fuse-link on it. A fuse-link is a safety fuse, that burns when it gets too many amps going thru it, just like a normal fuse. They are usually about 8-12 inches from the starer, in the wiring harness, and would be connected to the large terminal at the starter, along with the main 12v (red) cable from the batt. I would bet one or more of them are damaged, but I think the horn relay would be the first one to check. I don't have a wiring diagram for your year car, but I believe that the fuseblock gets it's main 12v supply from the horn relay. Hope this helps

Post up what you find. You are not the first one to do this and I am sure you will not  be the last. The location of the battery and the lighting back there can contribute to this happening.  It sounds like a fusible link. Just a guess but I would bet on the one down by the starter.

BINGO...   Mr Adam was right on target!!!   The red lead to the starter (not the actual battery cable) was fried....   After removing about 30 years of electrical tape, sure enough the fuse-link worked as designed... The red wire is 12 guage, and as Adam said about 6 inches from the starter there is a small section of 14 guage - brown...   that's what was fried!
Now my question can I splice a new section of 14 into the cable?

Adam, thanks for your insight and help!!!!   Much appreciated   

Go to NAPA or similar auto supply store and buy a fusible link made for the application. Speed shops carry them as well. They will usually be packaged as being for GM, Ford, etc.

Buying the proper one will make sure the gauge and resistance is what the factory intended...not always possible when you might cut a length of wire to do the same job. This isn't a time to scrimp. The factory link saved your electrical system...get the right replacement. They're not expensive at all.

[QUOTE=Gunslinger] This isn't a time to scrimp. The factory link saved your electrical system...get the right replacement. They're not expensive at all.[/QUOTE]

 

 Agree !!   Spend a bit more and do this right otherwise you'll

Glad you found the problem! I agree it's best to replace the fuse-link with anouther fuse-link. Twisting the two wires back together would be OK in an emergency, but not a good idea to leave this protection out all-together. The one other problem you MIGHT find has happened, is your clock might not work, now. Clocks don't like to be powered backwards, and it may have been damaged before the link blew. If if works ok after you replace the fuse-link, count your blessings If it doesn't, just be glad the fuse was there, and your 'Vette didn't burn to the ground!