Those are good points and something I will seriously consider.
I guess my reason for wanting to strip everything down in the beginning was so that I could really get everything clean. Scrub the engine compartment and the undercarriage. Get all of that rotten junk out of there and start over. Does that make sense?
Also, although it runs, I wouldn't consider it drivable right now. The only time I drive it is to move it around my own property. It would be unsafe to myself and others to get on the street with it.
