VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Electrical - 12 volt 1964 Chevy Truck Ammeter Problems.

A few problems with a 1964 chevy truck. The truck started and ran fine just yesterday but when trying to start the truck today... nothing at all when we turn the key.
After all the routine checks, we noticed the ammeter would show complete discharge when the key was turned to the on position.
Second, we eventually found the wires going to the starter solenoid melted together from exhaust heat. I'm sure this is our problem regarding why it wont start but is this also the problem causing the ammeter to show discharge?
We got the truck started by jumping the solenoid but the gauge still read discharge while the truck was running and the alternator was putting out about 14 volts.
We didn't have any more time today but we're trying to think of what might be going on here

The disconnected wires that were melted may be shorted to ground or shorted one circuit to the other.
On my '65 C20 the ammeter had to be modified because a small charge or discharge would max out the meter in either direction.

Modified?