My car seems to randomly take one of two courses of action when you attempt to start it. Either it will turn over and start but only while the key is turned all the way to start (not on), or it will turn over with less force, make a bunch of clicking pin ball machine type noises and melt a bunch of ground wires. I'm clueless.

 

Make sure you don't have any positive and negative wires occupying the same real estate in your electrical circuit.

 

When you say this which wires are melting? Sounds like a severe short somewhere. Can you get some pictures up? Also, run your positive cable from the battery down to the starter and make sure there isn't a hole worn in the insulation causing it to short against the frame or a bracket somewhere. Years ago I had a 71 Camaro that was doing something similar and I ended up with a fire because of this.