Usmczo6,
My fan only being on high fan speed problem has always been the switch. Since I've had my truck and had that problem it was the switch. When I removed all the A/C from inside the engine compartment and removed the fan speed relay, the thing with the curly wires, is that what ya'll are calling the "resister"? I only knew it called the speed relay. I had to find a new place to put it, but where. I still have the factory original relay in the truck and installed it in one of the ducts under the dash attached to a piece of plexiglas. I can look right in at it in the duct, I had to saw it off and shorten it when I was removing the duct from the drivers side under the dash. The two or three times it would only run on high I replaced the switch. A few years later it would go out again and I would replace the switch and everything would be back to normal.
And like you found out when one of those curly wires burns, that to. But what caused the wire to melt? I know those wires get hot because they are carrying current all the time, well whichever one the switch is on.
And for the choke? Get a manual choke. That eliminates any problems from the electric choke and you can control the rpm anywhere you want it to run on those cold mornings. Most of the older carbs. have some accomodation for a manual choke. Or you can get a kit to attach it.