I bought a new battery today, and had the starter checked. Thank goodness the starter is still good. It's not a big savings, but I'll take $50 worth worth of fun parts where I can get it.
The alternator definitely has 2 prongs sticking out the passenger side of it. I figured there was a connector that went there, my 72 Chevelle had the same set up. (I don't know why I remember that 20 yrs later, but I do)
I've looked in thewire loom, and didn't find anything else, but I'll look again. I also bought a Haynes manual for the camaro today, so hopefully that will help with wiring.
There is one fat red wire mounted to the back of the alternator. The cut one is the one I'm perplexed by...I'm presuming it goes to the batery???BB? The manual is not helping.
If memory serves, there should be a green an black wire that attach to the side of the alternator. I'm going to a junkyard tomorrow and find the connector off an old chevy truck or something (the charging systems on them were all set up essentially the same way), maybe that'll help me find the right wire under my hood.
I'm a little bent that I didn't get to fix anything today, it rained all day, but hopefully I'll hear it run tomorrow. I know that's asking for a sprint when we're not even walking yet, but I got a gut feeling that things are about to start happening fast.
I confirmed my suspicions about my motor...IT IS A 400 FROM '71. Talk about getting thrown a bone. More to follow, must head to bed b4 it gets any later...must keep wifey happy so she let's me buy parts.
Thanks soooooo much for the advice.
R

 

On my '71 the two wires are yellow and dark blue for the plug. I just had to replace my original plug as from years of wrestling it around the wires broke off. NAPA had brand new ones in stock with 6" leads on them for under $3!
I'd open up that sheath and check to see where that fat wire on the alternator goes presently, and also where that stub of cut red wire goes. I got a hunch that either someone chopped them both, or they cut it aprt to install an amp gauge. Might take opening up the wiring harness to sort it out, then just get some 33+ black tape and wrap it back up after the repair.

 

+1

NAPA or some other quality parts store will have your leads for cheap. I'm with 1971BB427 on the "opening the wire harness". That way you're 100% sure what goes where. It would suck to have a fire in your wiring harness. I had a short in mine last summer that set fire to the wire from my alternator to the starter as it kept trying to crank over and over again without me personally trying to crank it. Luckily I caught it in time and disconnected the battery and contained the fire. One of the few times I shrieked like a girl really loudly.

Thanks for your service to our Country and glad you're back stateside. I used to live in Southern Georgia and if I were still there and close by I'd come and help you out.

 

I know exactly what you mean haha,when the 80 i used to have shot a big ball of flames out from under my cowl hood and up the windshield i think people on the next block heard me haha.First time i can remember in years that i was that close to crying like a baby,watching my car go up in flames while waiting for the fire dept.

 

Mine is Aqua (teal), only one I have every seen, have yet to find any pictures of any that color either. Been looking since I got it. 1977 Paint Code 38. I have to find a Aqua center console. It was Aqua, white Vinyl top and white interior. Of course not putting vinyl top back on, going to do white racing stripes to tie in the interior. Anxious to rent a house here with a garage and get it here so I can work on it. Not that I don't have enough to do to the 93 Z28, 91 vert, 85 T-type, or 84 Z28.

www.fquick.com/gvmv

 

OK no more talk of car fires!!!!!!! I've had 3 of them in this Camaro (none electrical) and one just the other day in my Goldwing! (also not electrical) Fortunately the worst thing that happened was back when I was racing and my Weiand medium height tunnel ram popped and caught fire, which burned my snokel hood. I decided at that time to take the Weiand off, and the hood off, and go back to my Torker and the old L88 style hood.
Then there was the infamous backfire with one of those junky Edelbrock triangular foam air cleaners, which burnt it up, and forced me to rebuild my Holley from gooo in the venturis.
And last summer's headliner fire while I was welding the hole closed from the sunroof!
And last week's fire in the Goldwing when I got it out of winter storage and didn't want to wait for it to crank long enough for the fuel pump to fill the carbs. Got a little heavy on the ether and bang, there went the foam element!
I think my mom was right about not playing with matches.....I can destroy things without help from burning wood!

 

I never did figure out exactly what happened that started mine,the motor was cold and when i started it,it spit and sputtered for about 10 seconds idled up and then all i saw was a huge fireball coming at me haha,but it pretty much destroyed everything from the firewall forward,melted my 2 week old harwood hood,the nose,all wires,and just started melting the dash when the fire dept. finally put it out,they were not happy to be dealing with an old car on thanksgiving,i think we messed up their dinner when we called them haha.

 

Hook a volt meter to the red wire connection at the back of the alternator and see what output is at when the engine is running. The two wires that are not connected to your alternator is what activates the regulator, with a conventional alternator. BUT....someone could have put on a one-wire alternator, and cut the two unneeded wires. When you start the engine with a one-wire, the self-exciting regulator won't kick in until you rev the engine to about 2,000 rpm's. Start your engine without revving it and see what voltage the alternator is putting out (whichever alternator you have, it shouldn't be full output). Then tap the rpm's high and read it again. If voltage output is now at 14-ish volts, you have a one-wire alternator. Then all you need to do is some wiring clean-up.

 

Well, I got the starter hooked up, and the battery in. But before I could see if it would start I had to remove the ignition switch. The keys were lost long before I evver got my hands on the car. My haynes manual showed ignition removal as being pretty simple. The car they used for illustration, was definitely not the same model as my 77. In order to get my ignition switch out, I was going to have to take out the entire steering column...that did not happen. I think I may have watched "gone in 60 seconds" 1 too many times, well the ignition switch is now out, and I can turn on the car and get power, but am unable to actuate the starter. When I put it back in (the starter) I put all the leads back where they came from, there are a total of three of them. 2 that go to the large connector on the starter, and another one that was on the smaller connector on top of the solenoid. I don't know if there's a wire missing from the ignition to the starter, or what. One of my friends was over last night and we messed with it for about 4 hours, and couldn't figure it out. (I know the starter is good, I just had it tested 2 days ago.)We even tried to jump the starter with a screwdriver, and couldn't make it turn over. The wiring under the hood is a mess. It was a mess before I got my hands on the car. I have not cut anything, as I do not know what everything is. The ac was partially removed, and there are a buttload of wires from that. I figured out one of the wires I initially had questions about. It is the generator sensor so I hooked it up, and it works...now a buzzer c omes on in the car when I turn on the ignigion. I looked at a similar year car yesterday, and the other wire from the plug on the side of the alternator loops back to the back of the alternator (to the big red wire). This seems odd to me, but I hooked it back up that way.
I'm really getting antsy about getting this thing started. I'm debating whether or not to figure out what wires in the steering column do what, and just rig my entire ignition from another source, like an ignition switch that was on the 60's cars, mounted to the dash instead of the column. I realize that this may not be the best idea, however, my time and resources are limited, and I need to get this thing running soon, to appease my spouse.
Thoughts...comments?

 

I spent the morning dismantling my steering column so it wouldn't lock up when/if I ever get to drive it. During this, I ran across the rod that activates the starter. For grins, I hooked up the battery, and pressed the lever. Lo and behold, the starter kicked over. I figured this was a good sign. So, I finished gutting the steering column and put it back together. I hooked the wiring up to a generic ignition switch I bought at Advance. The switch works fine, but I still can't get the starter to turn over. I'm guessing there's a break in the wire that runs to the starter and in all the messing around with it the last week maybe I bumped it and made a connection, Or I hooked up the wrong wire, I tried all the wires on the new ignition switch, and nothing worked. I'm debating just running a new wire straight to the starter from the switch and see what happens.
I'm at a loss, and probably not going to get to touch it this weekend...honeydo's. Oh well.