I have a 73 dart with a built 318 I bought a couple years ago , the issue I'm having is when I turn ignition nothing happens radio, lights , etc nothing works and car won't crank , if I jump the starter solenoid it cranks and won't start battery is fine , and I changed the ballast resister with 2 others I had laying around and the coil gets no power with key on either , also with key on no power to fuse block , I am recently new to mopar this will
Be the third summer in my possession

 

Not familiar with the Dart but kinda sounds like ignition switch.

 

Do the gauges work ? When the key is turned on ? May be a bad fusible link or ign (key) switch. Check for voltage at the switch On ign terminal

 

The gauges don't work but , when I got the car there was no cluster I put one in , all the lights did work but not working now , I'll test that tomorrow any idea where the fusible link would be so I can check that also

 

Jump the AMP gauge ( 2 big red wire) and see if everything starts working...

 

I did a little research and amp gauge seems to be a common issue for Mopars. Seems odd to me to wire in a gauge to prevent start up. Also seems that it could make it just as bad an idea to jump start somebodies car as with a new computerized vehicle. Is there a safe way of working around a bad amp gauge for extended periods, say to get to next town 35 miles away.

 

Sure... Put them both on the same stud....

Then Once you are ready to get down an dirty and fit it.... Fix it the "MAD" way......

http://www.madelectrical.com/electri...p-gauges.shtml

Just my 2 cents

 

First go over to MyMopar and download a service manual. By the way the one posted there came from "For A Bodies Only" and not MyMopar.

Then read the MAD electrical article. It has a great explanation of the primary power in these things

http://www.madelectrical.com/electri...p-gauges.shtml

Pay attention to the simplified diagram on the page. "No nothing" as you have indicates a major but simple failure. FROM THE starter relay "big stud" which is "battery" the very first thing you encounter is the FUSE LINK which feeds all power into the interior of the car through the BULKHEAD CONNECTOR. From there to the AMMETER, and now the black wire to the WELDED SPLICE.

From the welded splice, we then split off to go back out to the alternator, feed the light switch, the fuse panel, and the ignition switch infeed.

NOTE THAT none of this is fused except for the fuse link itself

Your no1, 2, 3 etc suspects are...........

Bad fuse link

Bad connection(s) at the bulkhead connector

Bad connections at the ammeter or bad ammeter

Rare but has happened, failure of the welded splice. !!YES!! They have.

 

Nice, I hope the OP found Mad electrical article as helpful as I did.