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Yeah, for the most part no one's really cranky, until one fails to read the advice given and blathers nonsense... I just read the build sheet, came with some nice options! Looks like the only thing missing is the A/C compressor, which, if I lived in western WA would only go on a few times a year. Regardless, I would restore it if possible. Perhaps using a smaller unit. The stock units were oversized IMHO. You'll be glad for those few hot days.
Good call on the A/C. With the ignition on ground the sender wire, you should see the needle jump. That means the gauge is working, if not, look for B+ to the gauge. You'll find the search engine on this site very effective, there's a lot of stuff posted about troubleshooting gauges.