For your FIRST resto-redo-rodsteration whatever you call it........don't go over board. There is a tendency to get it perfect the first time, and perfection costs too much time and money. What I am NOT suggesting is taking shortcuts. But I am suggesting that you do a rolling restoration for your first time. A full frame off is more than a novice can handle in terms of patience. I submit that if all of us in resto-land were able to have driven our selected truck off the showroom floor in the 1960's, we would be perfectly happy with how it drives. But the magazines have told/sold us on the idea the absolute necessity of conversion and change and upgrades.
Long theory short, in this economy, go easy. Get the truck up and running. Make it safe first and then go for cosmetics. When times change, then you can get a little wilder. You'll be reading and going to shows and driving it all over and you'll become more immersed in the truck culture and what you like and don't like. And then you can go for bigger changes, or simply move on to a more appropriate project. You can easily spend $10 grand and end up with a nice $5 thousand dollar truck.
Last edited by k10; 08/22/2011 6:58 PM.
