Hi John,
Thank you for the very informative post !
BTW my truck is a pickup and spent a hard life on a Manitoba farm... most of the dents are a result of cattle using it for a scratching post over the years

Like the idea of rummaging through swap meets (not too many north of the 49th though), and picking up a parts truck or two.
I can see the appeal of the detective work of looking for hard to find parts. Treasure hunts are always fun.