Power failure help?

[Pearsondan@domain.elided]

Hi,
I only save my stupidest questions for the list--the ones none of my friends 
with old American iron all scratch their heads at.  In my 1988 Milan Verde 
last week, I began getting an intermittent power failure about 45 seconds 
after starting.  It was so subtle (very brief loss of power, all warning 
lights coming on ARC) and would only occur once after start-up that I wasn't 
worried.  I figured I had a loose ground wire and was going to spend the 
weekend going through the engine compartment cleaning all the contacts.  
Well, the car didn't make it to the weekend.  Turns out that the main ground 
cable burned clean through just at the battery terminal!  Thursday saw the 
cable come away in my hand after the car "stopped" a couple of blocks from my 
home.

So, I cleaned up the ends of the cables (the negative cables on the Verde 
have two ground contact cables), bought a new post clamp and reattached the 
cables.  Mistake.  I got crackling coming from the negative post at the 
contact and, after a minute, a sizzling sound from both terminals.  No power 
was going to the car (interior lamps or indicator lights not coming on)  Lead 
was melting at the contact and I quickly pulled the ground and positive 
clamps.  

Okay.  I replaced the battery on the theory that something somehow might have 
happened to the old battery damaging its cells or even its polarity (though I 
admit it didn't make much sense to me either).  Same thing only quicker 
reactions as the battery was stronger being new.  What is going on?  There 
had been some crackling/arcing at the old ground cable-clamp interface when 
the car first quit as the cable didn't really come fully away on its own.  I 
don't see any damage to the fuses, but some or all of relays could be fried I 
suppose.  Still, I wouldn't expect to see the electrical reaction I am 
getting at connecting positive and ground to the battery.  I hope someone has 
an answer that isn't incredibly expensive and has me going "Dooooh"--much 
rather be stupid than broke, but I am open to the possibility that I will 
have to swallow being both.  happy holidays...  
Dan Pearson
Silver Spring, MD
1988 Milano Verde
1991 164S

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