Just picked up a 67 camaro convertible thats been sitting in a garage for at least 15 years. It has a 73-85 250 4.1 engine. Did a tune up, and installed a new battery, but when I turn the key nothing happens. No dash lights, no interior lights, no headlights, etc. The battery is good, I have 12 volts at the starter and the coil, and I can jump the starter and get the engine to turn over. I heard that 67s are known for corrosion in the fuse block. I pulled it apart and cleaned it up as well as I could, and still no luck....any ideas?

 

There should be a small red wire from the pos. side of the battery that goes to a small distribution block located on the rad cradle just beside the rad behind the battery. There is also a wire that comes from that block that suppy's the whole car with power running to the fuse block. Make sure that is all ok or you will have no power to the car.

 

If you can jump start the car the issue is simple. Either your battery is not supply enough amp to start the car or your battery cables have so much resistance it requires 2 batterys to over come it. The same could be said about the starter connection the starter and the ground at the block. Since the ignition switch and fuse box do not require many amps to work I can not imagine adding more amps would have any effect on those. Infact there is nothing under the entire dash that could handle all the AMPs of one good battery.

What makes you think the battery is Good? Has it been load tested? Sure sounds like a bad battery to me. Most of the times adding a second battery to a system with a lot of resistance will get the car started but you may see some smoke and or some very hot wires.

 

He seams to have enough power. He said he jumped the starter not jump started the car. It sounds like he's not getting power to the fuse box or the main harness.

 

In addition to the junction block, check your connections at the horn relay, and the voltage regulator. Might as well check your negative battery cable frame connection too.
All accessory power (other than the cable to the starter) goes from the battery to the junction block on the passenger side, then across and to the voltage regulator on the drivers side of the radiator core support. That wire splices off before the regulator with two additional wires. One of those wires goes to the alternator. The other wire goes to the horn relay, which connects to another wire on the same lug of the horn relay which then goes to the bulkhead connector and feeds power to the inside of the car. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if that connection at the horn relay is corroded.

 

my 67 is having similar problems. the motor and everything like the starter works perfectly fine, but when you turn the key only the dashboard lights come on. there is no clicking noise or anything. the brake and headlights also don't turn on. It probably doesn't help that the car has been sitting for years. I've tried changing the ignition lock and switch but the same thing happens.