1979 electrical problem...please help

[1979bruiser]

a little back ground- none of my gauges work, all the factory tape for the wire harness has been removed and wires are loose every where.

i started out pulling the spedo/tach cluster out to find out why the gauges and tach didnt work. when i did this i found a red wire that was getting extremly hot (almost to hot to touch) coming from the connector behind the spedo (plugs right into the gauges) (there is two) and it goes to a green connectot that continues to the engine compartment. this wire however stops at the green connector and is a doubled up wire at bothe ends of each connector. the other wire at the green connector doubled up w/ this wire is not getting hot. and at the spedo the completly differnt wire doubled up w/ this wire is not getting hot either. now the wire getting hot is a straight shot from connector to connector w/ no splices or other connectors in between. on the wire it says resistor wire do not cut. i know resistors get hot but this is almost to hot to touch and fear of the wireing catching fire.whats everyones thoughts.
thanks dan