Thanks for the responses. Yes, insulating washers are present. I have power into amp meter with Red wire, when I connect the Black I have sparks at battery post and no power to fuse block. There is no logical reason why a problem could have developed with the ammeter but I will replace it with an extra I have to check it. I did this exact same procedure on a friends 66 Dart with no issues so I am a little perplexed. I do feel it is in the ammeter though. Thanks again.
