I'm new to this also but I'm pretty far along now, so I thought I would chime in on my experience so far as a newb.
My first decision was that it was going to be in restomod style like you. Not a perfect bolt by bolt recreation like some others prefer. So you have already taken the first step.
Next, I decided that this was going to be something I drove around for fun and it was not going to be perfect. Therefore, my plan was to get it up and going (looking decent) so I could drive it for fun and then tweek and refine it as I enjoy it. I didn't want it to be in the garage for a really long time. I'm at about 8 months now and I am doing test drives around the empty local school parking lot.
Next thing was budget to accomplish above. Your budget is 10 times what I had for my budget so you are way good there.
I would then set up a free blog on blogger or create a project journal here to document progress and a place to store photos that can be linked to people to see what you have and what you are doing.
After that, I set up a plan with the order of how I wanted to do things the best I could figure out.
Since my first decision was restomod mode----new large wheels and tires was the first step for me to get the stance right, as I personally think the restomod style has cool wheels and tires as part of the theme.
Then I made a checklist on what I knew how to do (I was going to do), what I wanted to learn how to do, and what I thought I was going to subcontract out (things I have no interest in learning-----as an example, I don't want to learn engine rebuilding). Honestly, with your budget of 35k, why do u want to do this project? What do u want to learn?, experience? Create? For that amount of money you could prolly sub it all out and have your truck done by a restoration shop?
Biggest mistake I have made so far is putting the braking system at the end of the list. I thought the brakes were going to be OK and that was a mistake. I would put all road safety related items as a priority (steering components, brake components, emergency brake, electrical lights/turn signals, horn, gauges, fuel tank sender, etc.)
