ChetMan,

Lots of questions....the coil may be a internally resisted style which means your setup is OK. The case of the coil usually has some text on it that indicates weather a external resistor is required or not. Take a look!

The alternator could be a single wire unit in which case your wiring is fine. The test would be to see if the system charges when you start the truck and bring the engine speed up.

I'm not clear what you mean by 'a shorting wire' on the alternator, but it doesn't' sound healthy.

Stuart