Ground wires

So true:
If there is no ground from the battery or block to the body, there is not much to "hook the two" together. Motor mounts are rubber, so only "accidental" stuff grounds the block. If you run an automatic, with original all metal cooler lines, those are probably forming "the best" ground with no proper ground cable(s). Otherwise, poor connections in clutch or shift linkage, REALLY poor connections in the throttle cable, etc, is really the only connections
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Whenever there is a high resistance path to negative battery terminal something along that path is going to get smoking hot as soon as the starter is engaged be it a loose connection, oil cooler line, several smaller gage wires not meant to carry a big amp load, linkage between clutch and dash or carburetor & fire wall. This is why such a heavy gage conductor is used between block & negative battery terminal.