For the sidebar question: The "R" terminal you speak of is actually terminal 2 on a Delco 10SI/12SI alternator and it is the Sense terminal. The internal regulator tries to keep this terminal at 14.0 volts so it's usually connected directly to the battery to keep the battery at 14.0 volts. Connecting it instead to the alternator output will keep that point at 14.0 but the battery voltage will then be less due to voltage loss in the cabling depending on your electrical loads.
I hate to say it but a "one-wire" alternator is the simplest choice for an alternator in your case; connect the output to the baterry and it's done. The downside is the sense point is at the output so it has the drawback mentioned above.
A standard 3 wire is not that much more difficult; run the large cable to the bat, add a smaller gauge wire to the bat, and then run a 14 gauge wire from the alt terminal 1 to an idiot lite in your dash. The idiot lite does 2 things, it, of course, acts as a idiot lite, and it excites ("kick starts") the alternator when the engine starts up. You coould also use a resistor instead of the idiot lite, but the lite is nice to have.
for more info go to
www.madelectrical.com
George