Posted this originally in Performance, realized this was probably a better place...

'93 Cavalier, gutted, now a stock car. When I bought it, the seller had done most of the gutting. Had been starting and running fine.

About a month ago, I decided to finish gutting it by removing the center armrest console, the radio and the heater/AC controls. Also, the seller had wired in a kill switch but had put it behind the driver's seat (?). So I rewired it so the kill switch is now mounted on sheet metal covering the opening where the radio and AC/heater controls had been.

Now, it won't start. When I put the battery back in, it did nothing. Replaced the battery. With the new battery, when I turn the ignition on, the lights on the dash come on, and the engine fan (which is wired to the windshield wiper motor so it runs constantly) comes on but runs weakly. When I turn the key to start, the starter doesn't crank or make noise at all.

My question: is there anything I could have done in removing the radio and AC/heater controls that would create some kind of a short circuit so that it won't start? I initially suspected my wiring job on the kill switch, so I rewired it and still, nothing. (And yes, I made sure the kill switch was in the "run" rather than the "off" position!).

Any help on this one would be appreciated. I can navigate routine mechanical issues, but electrical is out of my range of knowledge, and I'm afraid I did something in removing the radio and AC/heater and have no idea about it.