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

Update, if anyone is still following this thread......

As noted before, rang thru the ignition switch to check for continuity in "start" and "run". Just to clarify, the switch only showed continuity in crank/start ONLY when switch turned to start.......when switch released to "run", it showed continuity ONLY in the "run" position......basically, the switch and the circuit aft of the firewall works as designed.

Checked the grounds again. Removed the "plating" from both terminal ends of the engine grounding strap, and made sure that all contact areas of the alternator brackets were clean and grounded.

Now, for the fun part. Tried starting again with a meter hooked up to read voltage at the (+) post of the coil. When engine cranking, switch in "start", it now reads battery voltage.

Great!.....except.....it still doesn't have any indication of spark at the plugs.

Sooooooo...........as it just so happens, I located the original, almost 40 years old, 5-pin, potting-running-out-of-it, never been in the car/sitting in a box in my garage since 1991, numbers-matching 1973-vintage ECU, and had it with me. So, for grins, I sub this old effer in.......

And now, it starts. So does this mean that I need to forget about using modern, Chinese-made ECUs, and start collecting 40 year old, salvage yards ones?

Stay tuned........the engine runs, but it's running rough, and won't idle (yet). Haven't had a chance to play with the timing or carb adjustments yet. Or else I may have left a plug wire off. Won't stay running unless I modulate it with the gas pedal.