[Pinballer]

Started out my usual day off from the real job today cutting some panels out of sheet metal to fill in the gaping firewall holes from the blower motor and windshield wiper motor removals and getting those fitted in. Went pretty well, nothing all that exotic of course. Been there done this before. Nice to not see the holes anymore.

Then I spent the majority of today getting the engine compartment wiring sorted out and some wires tagged for future use or permanent removal. Long session with the test light and the schematics (which aren't all that big of a help sometimes). After removing the remains of the myriad of computer system and pollution garbage wiring and the original GM starting system wiring set-up from the OEM Iron Duke motor it had and converting some of it back to Ford style with the old- school Ford solenoid so I could keep the proper AMC Ford-style starter in place, I finally got brave and hooked up the battery cables and twisted the key. The key has not been turned to 'Start' even once in this ride for what has to be every bit of 25 years.

It cranked over!
No smoke coming from anywhere either...big sigh of relief there. This car is going to LIVE!

Not only was the cranking over a most promising sign, the lights on most of the car worked too--headlights, the gauges in both the dashboard and console, taillights, side markers, everything but a couple of dashboard lights, a license plate light, and the dome light. Bear in mind when I bought this car so long ago, it was just a body and I knew absolutely nothing about the condition of things other than it was red and fairly straight. And it's not like I kept it garaged either, Mother Nature has pretty well had her way with it, but it held up well.