I did the front end on a Pontiac Ventura II eighth miler once. It wasn't too bad even without pneumatic cylinders.
I think that the sheet metal on a Chevy truck might be kind of heavy.
Basically, you just weld or rivet the fenders to the hood, build a tubular frame that supports the hood, and put the hinges in the front. No need to cut the bottom rear parts off the fenders because there is no noticeable curvature there.
