You wrote, "...the dash light have rhythmically pulsated as I drive down the road...."
That's a sure sign of voltage regulator problems -- lights are brighter when the alternator is putting out full charge, and are dimmer when the regulator cuts in to limit the charging.
Problem is, it's supposed to be subtle -- unnoticeable -- so when you can see it happening by the brightness of lights changing, that's a sign it's not working right.
I don't know whether you have a separate, external voltage regulator (mounted on the side of the engine compartment) or yours is built into the brush assembly inside your alternator -- spanning your model year, I've owned a 1980 (which I think was external, but honestly can't remember whether it really was, or I'm thinking of a still earlier car), and a 1984 (which is internal), but not a 1981.
Regards,
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