i'm finishing a frame off on my '70 el camino. just installed the new M&H wiring harness for a 70 SS w/ gauges. turns out the dash is a 72 SS gauge harness. i know they wont match up and i've already got a correct 70 dash, gauge cluster and harness. question is: can i hook up the old engine harness plug with just the connections to start the motor for now(w/o cooking anything in the dash)? the reason i want to do this is because i had the engine completely rebuilt at the shop and i'd like them to break it in before i take it home to do the dash swap. when they removed the old engine harness they cut the bulk head plugs off the harness(72 engine harness). i'd like to just add the minimum to start the car with the ignition rather than jumping the starter sol.. also it would be nice to have the charging system working. temp and voltage gauge would be gravy but not neccessary. anyone know which wires, pin locations i would need using the 72 engine side plug and where on the engine they connect eg., battery, starter horn relay etc... center section and/or forward light harness.
i read over alot of your old posts Elree and it sounds like you are the one to ask

thanks, Pat

You know, I did my dash years ago with Elree's help, great guy to deal with.

I think you can remove the small contact prongs inside the harness from your 70 and insert them into the '72 harness plug - assuming they both use the same contact.

Stick a tiny screwdriver into the pin to remove the contact, pull the prong out a little again, and stick it in the new harness plug.

Or, you could cut the wires if they're not the same contacts - you just need to know which wire will end up at the correct instrument and splice the wires accordingly.