The smaller wires coming to my starter (red + a couple of blacks) were originally wrapped with a lighter colored cloth type of tape.  What is a good substitute for that?  Heat resistant electrical tape or is there something else?  As always, originality is not a concern for me - just want something that works.  

I keep a roll of friction tape in my box at work..you can get it at sports stores that sell stuff for hockey..its for wrapping the end of the stick with..its the black sticky cloth tape..you can buy it from a fancy electrical shop but I found its the same stuff..manufacturers still use it today as it works..sometimes people don't like to cover those wires up though because they are fusable links..at least a couple of them are..if one gets burned out it makes for hard finding if they are taped up tight..mine are just hanging aroud down there..
Rich

Pretty much any good electrical tape will work. Rich has a point about wrapping the fuse-links...might wanna leave those out where you can get to them. Or...instead of wrapping the harness in tape, get ya some of that plastic "accordion" wire harness shielding. Then you can put a light tape wrap, and slide the accordion shield over that. Just be sure to keep the harness away from the exhaust, no matter how you wrap it.  

I hafta agree with Joel.  You never know what you might need to do down the road,

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Cheesehead..gotta love it.
Rich

Uh...Dan?  I'm purdy shur the Packies is in DALLAS rite now...I kin SMELL em from here!

Well, no comments about the Packers or Steelers (Seahawks got booted a few games ago) but thanks for the advice about my wire wrap options.  Think I'll get me a roll of that friction tape - I've used that for other stuff before and it works pretty well.  And I did see the fusable links down there -- I'll make sure to not cover them up.