turns over without a key

so i bought a 61 oldsmobile dynamic 88 from the junk yard a couple years ago it was my first car. two kids brought it to the junk yard becuz the bendix on the starter was bad. so i got it home and rebuilt the starter and i put the starter back on well i went to put a battery on to see if the lights worked still (they do) and as i put both of the wires on the terminals the damn thing started to turn over! no key in the ignition and no ignition even attached to the dash it was broken off?
well the car is a four door bubble top with a 394 2 barrel im kinda stumped on what to do to it after shes road worthy and after shes runnin any ideas im lookin forward to hearing them pictures will be coming soon thanks for lookin
danno

 

maybe try and put an ignition switch in it and make sure that it's not just hot wired...

 

you opened the box...there is hope.

 

One other possibility is the solenoid is worn, when my Pontiac's solenoid went it caused the copper plate in the contacts to start to stick to the terminals and that would make it keep cranking. Several times I had it out and first turned the copper disc over, then filed it down smooth again, finally I replaced the solenoid and that solved the problem.

 

I think rustynewyorker nailed it.

 

Did you test the starter before installing it? Do you hear the solenoid clickl in before the starter runs? Did you put the solenoid spring back in?

If there is no ignition switch, they must have had a way to start it. GM usually used a purple wire for the start circuit.

Is the battery cable touching the S terminal on the starter?

 

now you know what killed the bendix in the first place. it probably started,stayed engaged, they ripped the ignition out, it stalled then was towed to the junk yard.

 

Aren't you supposed to say "bingo" ...?