Lot of good suggestions. Let me add one more of the same. From your variied description, that the coil has no power AND that it starts in any gear, it sounds to me like someone has done some "creative bypassing" at the ignition switch. That's where I'd start. Power is sent to the NSS in start position and on to the sol. (to crank the motor) The coil should get power from the sol during cranking and then from the ignition switch in "run".

Check for power at the coil in both positions.

 

You mentioned "sol" but I don't know what that is.

Okay, so I've got a good idea of where to start looking.

I recall something that happend sunday that may have been the root cause of the problem. I was driving along and the volt meter jumped then I saw a flash in the volt meter and smoke from the dash. I pulled over and noticed that in the engine compartment along the firewall a little clip had broken, releasing a wire that dropped onto the engine.

So, I suspect the wire damage was caused at this point even though I was able to continue driving after taping the wire up out of the way.

 

Oh, so sol is solenoid. I'll have to look for that wire. What do you mean check power in both positions (run position and what)? Clarification: it doesn't start at all now. It was starting in any position of the gear selector before the issue (non-starting).

I took a look at the wire from the coil to the firewall. Bad condition. Right within an inch of the coil the wire's plastic cover is split exposing the bare wire. I tried tracing the wire - within a few inches of the coil it has a rubber cover. Then two wires come out of the wire cover to two separate little things on the bottom of the engine. Finally the wire is combined with several others in a taped up group that join to the connector at the firewall. I see some wires that may be fused/melted together just before the firewall connector. One wire has a split plastic cover. I'm not sure if the wire that is split is the same one going to the coil. The wire's plastic cover is split but the metal in the wire looks good.

The colors are a bit difficult to see. Guess I'll wait for better lighting or get out my powerful light. The wire coming out of the coil looked a bit more red than pink but again that may be the lighting.

The wires under the dash are all taped up. But appear to be in good shape. This contradicts the fact that I saw smoke coming from under the dash. Should I be looking for the same pink color wire coming from the ignition?

So, can a beginner fix this? Can I just replace the one wire or do I have to replace all of the wires in the connector?

 

I pulled all of the tape off of the wire and looked at it. I purchased a new wire. The old wire appears to be part of a connector at the firewall. The new wire has a metal male tip that should go into something. So, should the connector on the firewall allow me to remove the wire and replace it? Or do I have to cut the wire? If I'm supposed to be able to pull the wire out of the connector I don't see how to do that.

 

Get a new underhood wiring harness. They don't cost that much and it will solve any wiring issues you have under the hood. Most online Mustang vendors will have them. To answer your question, no the wire will not come out of the firewall connector.

 

The smoke you saw may have only come from the voltage regulator but if it was me I would check every single wire under the dash to make sure you don't have one that is shorted out. It would suck bad for you to have an electrical fire under the dash because of a shorted wire that was overlooked.

 

I got it to work. Very amateurish. Cut both ends of the new wire and cut the old wire (both at the firewall connector and the coil connector). Twisted the ends of the wire to the connector's wire. Covered with tape.

It worked great.

I just went out this morning and bought some shrink wrap tubing. Now I just have to find a lighter to heat it up.

Thank you to all who helped. I never would have figured this out on my own.

I'm upset that the wire I purchased (from NPD) had different ends than the original.

 

Listen to the warnings Gibson,
Broken, frayed, cracked and melted wiring under the dash are invitations to future problems. Either broken connections that can leave you stranded, or worse shorts that can melt wires and catch fire.

Also, twisting two wires together and then taping is just asking for trouble. Between vibrating loose and corroding, that connection will leave you stranded someday...it's just a matter of when.