1977 Town Car Questions

Hi Bill,
I recently purchased a 77 Town Car. It sat for many years prior to my purchase, but with only a new battery, fluids and fuel filter it has been running like a top! Odd happening the other day… I started the car and the fuel gauge showed empty (with red fuel light also on) even though the tank was half-full. At the same time, the windows did not work, and the blinkers did not work. I drove for a bit and shut the car off. When I started it again, everything was fine – gas gauge read true, windows and blinkers worked. Any thoughts? I’m just worried the issue may resurface again or get worse if I don’t catch/fix it.
Thanks!
Paul
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Greetings Paul –
You are correct, the issue could surface again. Vehicles that are stored for long periods of time are subject to developing poor electrical connections and corrosion problems due to moisture, atmosphere and heat etc. inside switches and relays. Rodent chews of any wiring are also a concern in many cases. Your problem could be a poor connection or sticking a condition in the ignition switch that has now been successfully corrected by using the car since you have owned it. If the power outage returns however someone with the “correct” wiring diagram and the ability to read it will need to trace the power path of these circuits in a logical sequence with a 12v test light in order to pinpoint the exact cause.
Sincerely,
Bill