So I start up my 71 Supreme hardtop project car this morning. Starts up and runs fine, choke works well and everything. I have this vehicle on the road but do not drive it much. I take it to have my yearly NY state inspection and get there with no problems. I go to restart the car and it stalls.Try to start it again get nothing. I open the hood and the negative battery terminal is sparking! Not good! I broke the terminal off as it was melting anyway. Something is hot when I touch the terminal to the battery it sparks big time. Any ideas out there? I had road service tow the car home to figure it out there. I am thinking the starter solenoid is sticking, but it's a new Duralast reman starter and cables as well as the battery too! Possibly could it be the ignition switch open as well at the columns base? Whatever input you gurus can give me I would greatly appreciate! Thanks!

 

First look would be at the battery cables, loose ground or grounded pos cable. Takes alot to melt a battery cable end, I would doubt a wire at the column would cause it......but I've been wrong before...

 

Darryl, you mentioned it had a new starter. Long ago I had a problem where the battery to starter wire was touching something right at the starter. I think it was the header pipe. It's been so long ago I don't remember just what the symptoms were, but I should have remembered melting a post of the battery! Just an idea, the way the cable is bent at a 90 degree angle where it bolts to the starter solinoid if it's twisted it may ground out. Something to look at anyway. John

 

Thanks guys, will not be able to look at it till the weekend with it sitting in the driveway. By the time I get home from doing the UPS thing theres not too much daylight left here in the northeast! It's dark by 8 oclock. I'll let you know when I have it figured out.

 

Well I got it fixed! Seems it was the guy who put in the starter namely me for my problem. I had the positive cable wrapped down near the starter so it literally melted together and shorted out. A new cable and better routing of it fixed the problem!

 

Glad you got it fixed.
Cruise on!