Is it common for the wire that goes from the battery positve terminal to the horn relay to get how while the car is running? I did not have the alternator hooked up when we fired the motor up, but noticed the wire was getting hot. Is it normal? Could it have been because the alternator wasn't hooked up and the drain was too demanding? It didn't smoke or anything, just felt hottor than usual.

 

The only reason that wire would get hot is if there was enough amperage going through the wire to heat it up. Does the horn work? The relay could be stuck on or maybe its shorted somewhere.

 

He's not talking about the horn wire, but the wire on the outer post of the relay. That is a meeting place for a bunch of + wiring.

 

Does it do that when the ALT is hooked up?
---If so...
Does it look original or might it have been replaced? If it was replaced, it might have been replaced with too thin a wire gauge.
Is it too hot just near the connectors / terminals? If so, it needs to be re-terminaled.
How does the wire look physically? bubbled insulation? discolored?
Did you have heater fan, lights, A/C, or defroster on before noticing it was hot? If not, some current tests might be in order...

---If not...
Running the engine without the ALT could be causing current being pulled from places it was not being pulled from before.
I never tried that, but just theoretical when looking at the wiring diagram. The coil does pull some juice...