Noticed today that the previous owner had no only unplugged the solenoid resister but also chopped the harness. I may be wrong but I have a sinking suspicion that this is the reason I have been hitting the 3500 brick wall. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

More info? What car? I'm guessing 2nd gen...

The resistor pack (sometimes called a "solenoid resistor") is a set of 6 ohm resistors that go in-line with low impedance ('86-'87.5) fuel injectors. This gives the circuit 8-9 ohms of total resistance. There's actually no solenoid at all.

If the pack is removed, and low impedance injectors are in the engine, the ECU could be damaged by the increased current. If high impedance injectors ('87.5-'91) are used, the pack would not be needed.

What part of the harness is chopped off? The plug for the resistor pack? In order to bypass it, the pins on the harness-side plug all have to be jumped together to complete the circuit.