So I ended up replacing the harness. I also replaced the ignition switch, brake switch, and headlight switch.

I installed a wiring harness out of a ’72 (same body style) that was in perfect shape. Ford changed the harness every year back then for reasons unknown. At least they kept the same color wires so that helped. I basically had to rework the wiring under the hood including all plugs.

Once I started looking at the wiring I had, I found more and more sections that were messed up. I found a blade fuse that was taped to some wires than covered in tape and hidden. I found wires cut and spliced to wrong wires (brake light switch was tapped into the column).

What I’m still working out:
-no heater fan (didn’t have time to look into it, was the last on the list)
-gages not working, 2 gage illumination lights not working (I think it’s a bad printed circuit and voltage stabilizer)
-the big problem is no brake lights and emergency flashers not working in the back (turn signals work in the back)

I’m running out of possible causes with the brake lights. I had this problem in the past so I think it has to be something I haven’t changed. The only thing left is the flasher switch.

I’ll update after I look through the wiring diagrams again.

 

The heater fan problem may be the motor itself. I didn’t have a working fan before all this and I swapped out the heater controls at the same time as the harness. I need to pull out the meter and see if I’m getting power to the switch and than to the fan motor.

I went to the salvage yard on Friday and got a good hood and wiper arms.  The hood needs to be stripped (painted with a brush) but it is otherwise in great shape.  My existing hood is dented at the front edge and filled with bondo.  Also the hood has a section of the supports cut out.

 

I picked up a new rear sliding window seal a week ago at the clip house.  I hope to get this installed soon.