Keith,
I'm curious, have you driven an AD in original condition at highway speeds or taken off from a dead stop on a steep incline? Are you prepared to learn (sometimes the hard way at inopportune times) how to fix what goes wrong? The reason that I ask is, these trucks are challenging to keep operating on an ongoing basis. It is also difficult to find a mechanic who can work on it. I absolutely love driving a restored to "as original". If I had not rebuilt every single moving part on my truck, gaining knowledge how to troubleshoot problems, I imagine that I would not be so in love with it. As it is for me now, when I go to a car show I pass by all the trucks that are modified and spend my time drooling on the restored as original ones. My truck never wins a trophy, but more people spend more time looking at mine and asking questions than the ones that win. Bottom line: Know what you really want, buy it, and don't look back.
