I switching over to an 88 starter on my 85. As a result I need to extend the wires. Can I just go to TruValue and get wire to extend the battery cable?

The battery cable, the large one? Or the wire that goes to the solenoid?

If it's the cable, the only goodway is to get a new cable that fits. If you're trying to extend the existing cable,it's very hard to find a splice for a cable the size of a battery cable and you have to worry about insulating it.

Parts stores like PepBoys usually have the battery cable ends and cable that can be cut to length. Making one up in your garage is fairly easy. If you want some tips, let me know.

Just reroute your positive wire at the battery so that it comes in sideways, not from underneath.

I'm running an 88 starter on my vette right now with the stock 85 starter cable. I had to tweak the end of it a bit to fit the starter terminal, but otherwise it fits fine.

Initially I thought I needed a longer cable, but the parts store ones don't have the extra wire for feeding the fusible link circuits, and well, it's a bitch to install.

Quote:

Same here; I have a '90 Vette Denso mini starter on my '87 with original wiring.

I went to Autozone a picked up a 19" battery cable with lugs on both ends. I bolted it to the exiting cable and found a black rubber washing machine drain hose at Busy Beaver that was thin and cheap and a piece of it slid with some persuasion over the ends of the cable I bolted together. I extended the other wires and the extra lengths allowed me to pull and route the wires away from the headers I installed.

Why?

Neither my battery cable nor any of the other wires were even close to attaching. On the 85 starter they mount to the solenoid on top of the starter. On the 88 starter, the wires mount on the bottom of the starter. They were several inches too short

That's why you have to reroute it at the battery. Anyhow I'm running the 85 cable without issue. The bottom terminal made it easier for me actually.

I even made it reach an LT1 starter, now that was a tight fit and I wouldn't recommend doing so. (Plus you have to grind the starter casing to fit the older style block.)