Wire melted!! Pics.. help!

[marco260z]

I bought a 74 260z and I finally got it running. I take it around the block and poof the dash starts smoking and a melted wire falls on my leg from under the Steering column, car turns off. Here are some pics I noticed a wire from behind the ignition switch that I recently replaced was burnt out as well. Any ideas on where to start?? Thanks.

[Whitley_280z_2+2]

Yikes! I’m curious to see if you can figure out what caused that. Is the wiring all original? The fuses are not bypassed right? I’ve found the colored wiring diagrams you can find online are really helpful for working with Z car wiring and identifying specific circuits. 

[marco260z]

1 minute ago, Whitley_280z_2+2 said:

Yikes! I’m curious to see if you can figure out what caused that. Is the wiring all original? The fuses are not bypassed right? I’ve found the colored wiring diagrams you can find online are really helpful for working with Z car wiring and identifying specific circuits. 

I have 2 black fusible links I was told one of them should be green I’m wondering if it was the wrong gauge wire? Or maybe 2 wires touched from the ignition switch since I just installed a new one. Who knows.. 

[Whitley_280z_2+2]

Yeah it definitely appears that there was a short somewhere but if you have all the correct fuses it should have prevented the wire from melting. I would first double check the fusible links like you said (and maybe the main fuse panel inside) and then try and find the short using a multimeter in continuity mode. I’ve had problems with the original plastic wiring connectors falling apart which can lead to a short.