69 dart wiring issue?

If you can get a test light and put it between the negitive battery cable and the negitive battery post. If the light comes on you have a draw. The blue wires are hot when the switch is on. Like 1 feeds the voltage regulator, one feeds the altenater, one feeds igniton. The larger red battery wire is hot at all times and shouldn't have anything tied into it. Sounds like you are feeding power back to the ignition switch on a blue wire when the switch is off.
If you cook a battery you have a mess in the battery tray and possibly on the underside of the hood.
The ballast resistor is supposed to get hot. Thats whay its made of ceramic.