Riddle me this, Mopar electrical experts.......

Car in question....1973 Dart Sport, Automatic

History.....dropped in my long awaited/saved-money-for replacement 340. Drove car over to shop for swap, no electrical issues whatsoever.

New engine in........cranks, lights off intermittently, or mostly not at all. Managed to get it running long enough to break in the cam (I hope). Seems to run okay if/when it lights. When cranking, shows low/no voltage at (+) post of coil. I can jump straight from the positive post of the battery to the positive post of the coil, and it will run some of the time.

Ignition switch was intermittent, subbed in another switch, seemed to work better. Disassembled column. put in new switch, now it doesn't start at all.

Ringing out wiring. I'm using a 1974 shop manual/wiring prints, if it matters......the closest I've been able to find at the swap meets around here. Am assuming they are basically the same, other than seatbelt interlock wiring.

Looking at page 8-156...Tracing path for 12 volts to get to the ignition switch. According to the print, wires "R6C 12 BK" (from ammeter) and "R6B 12 BK" splice together with wires "Q3 12 R", " Q3 12 R*", "L1 12 BK" and "J1 12 R". Is the junction of all of these wires on the back side of the firewall?

I'm assuming that "Q3 12 R" doesn't exist in a 1973 model car. Looks to me like I can check the "Start" wiring aft of the firewall (and ignition switch) by ringing for continuity between pins "P" and "Q" on CE 2, as long as....

-I turn the ignition switch to "crank/start"
-I don't turn on the lights and,
-I don't honk the horn

Then, ring thru "P" and "N" to check the wiring/switch in the "run" position.

Then.......it appears that the coil "grounds" thru the ECU. Theoretically, I should be able to get continuity between the (-) terminal of the coil, and a ground on the firewall/fender apron?

Then after that....I'll need a recommendation for a good automotive electrical shop near downtown Kansas City, Missouri. I've been dicking around with this problem off and on since June, and I'm no closer to figuring out WTF is going on than I was on June 30. Or, as much as I don't want to, pitch all the Chrysler stuff, and go with an MSD-6.