My two-year-old battery produces a steady 12.24v, also measured at the cable end when disconnected from the solenoid, but the reading is approx. 3v when connected. That drops to less than 1v when I turn on the ignition switch, the opposite of what I expected. None of the gauges even respond.

The car is garaged and covered during the winter months (I live in PA), so I routinely start the engine every three weeks, running it until the upper radiator hose is hot. I cleaned all electrical connections last spring (2021), with the result being excellent and consistent gauge readings, the headlights and running lights were brighter than before and the voltage drop was slight when the headlights were switched on. The volt meter never dropped below 12v, even at idle (approx. 550rmp). Life was good.

This February (2022), I turned on the ignition switch and all the gauges responded as expected. However, the instant I tried to start the engine, everything went dead and has stayed dead as I described in the opening paragraph.

I have a Ron Francis wiring kit since 1992, so all the known fuses are within relatively easy reach and none are blown.

Any thoughts as to what might have happened when I tried to start the engine in February? As far as I know, nothing happened to the car in the three weeks prior to February. After some research, I'm leaning towards a problem with the ignition wire or the solenoid.