Not getting 12 volts to coil

wrecks said
I don't understand how the voltage readings to gound were so close before bulkhead and after bulkhead, yet the voltage drop differences were so high.

We'll have to add them up and see. It is possible that something is loose. And its possible that byt probing a loose terminal you temporarily made the connection better.

We can only add up what was measured under the same conditions. If the battery is not being recharged after each test, this will result in some decrease of both voltage and current flowing.
Anyway kets give it try with what you've measured.

wrecks said
lights on to draw some current at the splice under the dasht:
R6 at Batt on alternator to splice had 1.7 volt loss one time and .7 another. ??
Red wire under column connector 11.6 volts with ground to body.
Red wire at bulkhead (with insulation puncture) had 11.58 volts with ground to body.
Red wire under column connected to + battery had .89 drop.
Red wire (# 16) at bulkhead connected to + battery had .14 drop.

Does this look like what you measured with lights on?

This is showing a small drop in voltage up to the bulkhead connector, and essentially no drop in voltage (.02V) between the bulkhead connector and the main splice.
We don't have a battery voltage measurement during this test, but if we add 0.7 to 11.6 Volts measured inside the passenger compartment, that's 12.5 Volts.
12.5 Volts acros the battery makes sense.
Sure seems like there is enough resistance in the bulkhead connection to cause trouble.

fusible link had .57 loss with lights off and voltmeter to + battery and .27 with lights on.

This I can't help with.
Unless there is a clock or something, there should be no current flowing through the fusible link with the everything off.
Wait. Maybe the door was open and the dome light on?
Still current would increase with the lights on. Possibly a loose connection at one or both ends of the fusible link ?