That helps narrow things down.
It wanted to start but didn't. I made another splice into the power wire for the extra starter wire. It cranks over strong a couple times then loses umph and stops then barely turns over and stops. I had the battery charging and used the 50amp booster on it when trying to start no luck. I just took the battery in to be tested and he told me it was in good shape and fully charged for a 5 year old battery. down to 500 a something from 600 a something new. Cells were good.
So tomorrow, weather allowing, I will try the battery out of my Dakota which has worked before. If that gets it I'll go for a new battery. If not I'll put the other starter in, just in case the this one is what is losing umph while turning over. Oh yea the dash started working again.
Has anyone got a complete set of instructions for putting a higher amp alternator in the first gen? I have the impression from the instruction I read for the 2nd gen, it was exclusively for the second gen because of differences in wiring.