A friend just gave me a late 80s 740 WGN, which is great. The only problem is it won't start or even turn over. I've tried a new battery, and all the lights, bells, and whistles work. I'm thinking it's the starter. The obvious problem is that a short wire, which runs from the solenoid directly to the starter, is rusted to hell. In fact, it's a broken now. The weird thing is the wire is uninsulated. It's no more than 1/2 inch long, is bolted onto the solenoid, and runs directly inside the starter caseing.
The question is, what does that wire do, is there a way to replace the wire, and if not, are used starters viable, or should a new one be installed? Are the solenoid and starter even sold seperatly? A new starter would come with a new wire, and the wire could be attached to the solenoid.
I guess if I go through the trouble of replacing the starter, I might as well replace the solenoid as well.
I've read some messages here, and installing the new one does not seem too difficult, but any suggestions about that process are welcome. Thanks for the help.