hey all,

Over the last few days my '82's red dash lights have all come on. In the past they would do this intermittantly. I have bought a new wiring harness but haven't installed it yet. So anyways the lights have remained on since last friday while I drive. Today somthing happens, I simultaneously run out of gas and experience radio failure, the car konks out just after I climb the Baton Rouge brige going over the mississippi. I pull over and stall out, get pushed to a parking lot by a state tropper, get picked up by a passing friend, I get gas, return to the car and it won't crank, we jump it and it starts right up I get in, try to leave and it sputters and dies. So here is my theory, the alternator is grounding out due to the poor wiring harness and is unable 1)to properly recharge the battery and 2) properly provide spark?

What is going on here?

I reached down to the alternator and pushed the wires away from anything they may be touching. We jumped the car again and let it idle for a few minutes and I was able to drive off, it responded OK and the dash lights were dimmer. The engine response would vary if the connection improved for some reason, meaning, as the gas was being applied at low speed it would slightly lurch out of the crappy idle. I pushed the clutch in finally at a safe parking lot and it died and I am unable to restart it.

I have plans to install that harness this weekend, how can I make it home?