Had auto electrician come over and clean up wiring, removing any redundant pieces. Also checked all of lighting operation, and with a cleaning of a few sockets, a few new globes everything works. Replaced the current faulty aftermarket water temp gauge with new aftermarket gauge, this is a temporary remedy as I wait for new dash I purchased from member anew4961 to make it's way down here.
Engine bay previously
After wiring tidy up
Still not very pretty, will look better with ram horn manifolds and spark plug leads run as factory. The goal right now is to make it a fully equipped and functioning vehicle that I can take out for a drive. The cosmetic restoration will be undertaken further down the track.