My latest progress:

-Pulled the entire front wiring harness out of the Ranger and sent the corpse to the scrapyard.

- Changed timing belts and accessory belts on the diesel, along with a few oil seals to hopefully eliminate any leaks.

- Need for parts has started to hold me up a little (looking for a water pump pulley mainly), and I'm also trying to keep my truck operational for another week or two so I can move into a new apartment. Not really looking forward to the mess that wiring will surely be, but I'm excited to be this far after a year of planning and gathering parts. I'll be sure and keep updating as I progress.