This should be a real fun one. But you have something, maybe like part of the wiring harness, grounding. Or at least sounds like it based on what you’ve said.
I would check the wiring harness that goes right next to the oil filter housing on the engine block. Many times the wire loom will disintegrate leaving the wires exposed to rub against the sharp edge of the engine. It’ll run through the plastic on the wire and expose the strands of the wire. At least this is fairly common on these cars. Worth a look.
If you open the shifter you can move the shift lock with a screw driver. If you aren’t familiar doing this, I don’t recommend it because you can break the shifter and it’s fairly expensive because the whole assembly usually has to be replaced.
if you remove the plastic clam shell around the steering column you can use a screw driver to poke the release button under the lock cylinder and turn it into the the off position. The steering wheel will lock in this position though. And can’t be turned unless the key is inserted and turned forward.
You can also put the transmission in neutral by removing the shifter cable off of the shift lever on the transmission. You do need to be careful because the bushing that holds it on the pin can easily break apart. So it needs to be removed fairly strait and not at an angle. I usually use a panel removal tool to remove them without damage.
By the way. Probably would be a great idea to disconnect the battery at this point so not to cause damage to wiring or the modules. Or start a fire.
