re: Help!Dead roadster!

[andycost@att.net]

Did you try un-hooking the wire you found loose?  PO's 
can do some interesting wiring changes.  If anybody ever 
tries to sort out the wiring on my car, they will be in 
for a long confusing ordeal.  It sounds to me like the 
wire you hooked up to ground was in fact a hot wire.  
Why else would it get hot and smoke.  With your battery 
connected directly to ground your starter is not going 
to crank well.  I could be wrong, but I would try the 
disconnect first.
Nomad Trash