Alright doctors, Lukas can't figure this one out.

It looks like the problem is going to be on the column, I looking for something that shows the diagram for the column, but you could check the connection at the columun follow the wires. Instead of messing with the wire by the wiper you could just jumper power to the wiper fuse at the fuse panel until you can locate and correct the problem in the column

This diagram for the fuses for my 77 shows that in the fuse box the wiper and radio fuse are tied together in the fuse box. hope someone can add to this I will keep looking rraider12011-04-03 08:58:38

If it determined that that is correct for 79 you could make that jumper connection on the side we see looking at the fuses. you would remove the fuses deterimine which is the hot side of the fuse when key turn on at the radio fuse and make the jumper on that side of the fuses?

IF the fuse feed is dead, you need to determine where the feed comes from, and why it is dead. You can certainly jumper power to the dead fuse feed side, but...what if there is a short on that side of the circuit? I'd have to look at the '79 diagram before I could say...gimmie a little time....

The wiper fuse is powered on a brown wire coming directly from the ign switch. The fuse block is also jumpered across to the next fuse, which protects the rear window defog, cruise control, and the power windows. If all of these components are working, then the wiring from the ignition switch to the fuse box is good, and the problem with the dead wiper fuse is actually behind the fuse box, on the backside, where the two fuses(power side) are tied together. In that case, jumpering across would be fine.
IF none of these other components work then we have an issue between the ignition switch and the fuse box, on the brown wire.
hth
Adams' Apple2011-04-03 10:45:29

Rear defog and CC are long gone. The power windows work fine. lukesvette2011-04-03 11:23:57

OK, after a little further neck pain, turns out o DO have power on the right side. With a fuse in the key in the run psn and the wiper switch on, I get no light on the white wire at the wiper motor. Sounds like the issue is indeed behind the fuse panel...

As you know, the white wire also goes to the washer pump, which I assume ain't werking either. It's a VERY good possibility that the problem is in the bulkhead connector, under the brake booster....which is also connected to the the BACK of the fuse box. I've seen MANY of those connectors get corroded up over the years, and cause problems like this. Might be worth a shot to disconnect that thing, and then reconnect it, just to see if that corrects the problem. You might also see the problem once you get it disconnected. It's a pita to do tho, so I couldn't blame ya iffin ya didn't wanna do it. Might just loosen the bolt in the center, and wiggle it around, and re-tighten the bolt.
You could just run a new wire from somewhere else, too...

If that circuit was shorted, when 12 volts was applied to the white wire at the wiper motor it would travel back through the wiper fuse. joel is onto it if the brown wire has power its in the fuse block the jumper on the outside would bypass the jumper on the back side of the fuse block. you would go from the left side of radio to left side of wiper the wiper fuse is your protection. it would be just like original

Paul, what Joel describes is EXACTLY what happened to mine! The connection from the bulkhead to the back of the fusebox had loosened up and corroded, causing the rear window defroster and the wipers not to work. Took it apart, cleaned it up, and put it back together and SHAZAM! No more problems (although after I had replaced the rear window defroster switch and relay!). It's worth a try!