1958 Panel Truck - wiring help please!

[drcmusic7]

Hi Gang,

I'm new to the forum. I've restored a dozen or so other vintage cars/trucks but this is my first Chevy.

Here's my awesome new truck:


It's a 1958 panel truck that sits on a 96' Impala frame. It has a 350 engine with a auto transmission. Runs and drives great. It's awesome with the power brakes, steering, etc.

However, there is something draining the battery within 24 hours. The ONLY things hooked up are the ignition, brake lights and water temperature gauge. Brand new battery and wiring harness too. Alternator is charing at 13.5v when the truck is running. When I test for a drain with my multimeter I'm getting a very minimal 1mA drain. Not nearly enough to drain the battery that quickly. I took it to the parts store and they confirmed my reading with their computer.

I changed the ignition switch thinking perhaps something was broken within it and causing the battery to drain but that didn't work either.

Here are some pictures of the engine and harness:

Wires from the HEI distributor


The brake switch


The new fuse box. Please note all the wires are just rolled up on top of the steering column.



What am I missing that is causing this huge drain? I'm guessing there is a short somewhere but can't seem to find it.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks for your help,
Danny