there is little chance you will ever get your money back out of it, because you will spend plenty. It most decidedly isn't an INVESTMENT like a shelby cobra or something. I see no reason to ruin a collectible classic, by cutting it all up. If you are going to do all that to it, buy one of the replicas. Because if you completely gut the thing, then apparently you don't really want a 54 chevy pickup. You just want something that looks like one, hence my suggestion you just get a replica. Regardless of which way you go, you are going to spend a lot of money, and even with a stock engine these get terrible gas mileage for use as a daily driver. They make great toys.
