Thanks to one and all who have responded so far. I am reassessing the frame swap with your input. I really hadn't thought about a rack and pinion steering but it might work. The only issue I have with R&P is the road vibration and is there a rack that would be heavy enough for a large truck. I have looked at later truck frames and they don't seem to lend themselves to well to rear steering with a drag link.
As to the trucks condition, she is a sweet old girl. The truck was built in Oakland and I think lived in Los Angeles all her life. The body is straight with only a touch of rust in the bottom of the doorjambs and cab back. The fenders and running boards have a few dents but nothing major and the grill and shell are perfect. The gages all work and it never had a heater, the worst thing on the truck is the seat now just a frame. The truck runs ok but she won't start hot and the king pins are as loose as a goose. The steering is really hard and when I jacked up the front to check the king pins the wheels move a good 2 inches worse on the right.
I am going to take some good digital pictures and put the up over the weekend.
