Is it really necessary to do a frame-up restoration, or can you take the truck and just have the body prepared for painting? Then it could be a daily driver without all of the expense?
Thats how I did mine . Drove it , worked on it, drove it, worked on it . It was never down for long. Would I have liked to do a frame off? Sure, but I didnt have the time, space or the money to do that. So I chiped away at it. Saved money, bought the parts, and would try to do what I could on the weekends. Did body work, rattle can primered ,added jeep springs to lower the rear, swaped out the ugly van seats for a bench, got a seat cover kit for it, added power steering, dual master cylinder,pertornix ignitoin, internal regulated alternator, headlight realys, new dash insert with new gauges, I bought a disc brake kit, and a 67 rear end a while back and will install them soon, you get the idea this system has worked for me. I have built my 60 on a budget thats why I call it El Cheepo hope this helps
It’s all up to the individual owner. Far more people do partial rebuilds and improvements than the number that do complete frame off restorations. It’s impractical for many owners due to financial considerations, mechanical abilities, or space and equipment limitations. If you’re going to build a daily driver a frame up restoration is not necessarily a wise investment. In a few years of use it will pretty much look like it did before the restoration, unless every weekend is spent underneath with a tooth brush and tweezers. The other downside of a frame off restoration is the time the vehicle is out of service. It’s much easier to remain enthusiastic about a vehicle that runs and can be enjoyed, compared to a pile of disassembled parts. Life and marital priorities can change while it’s scattered all over the garage, often resulting in the unfinished project going down the road to a new owner.
That's one of the great things about our hobby...you can do build ups or restorations that fit your budget, available space and time. I'm currently doing a frame up restoration, but had only done partial build ups prior while it was a daily driver.
As with any project, that goes from concept, to completion, it is important to have a plan. By having a plan, you can keep moving toward your goal of completing the project, regardless of how ambitious the undertaking. If the goal is to keep the truck in service, during the process, breakdown the process into manageable tasks, that fit your time alotments, investment capabilities, skill set, tool availability, space and level of commitment. All of these elements have the capability of derailing a well-intentioned project. Commit your plan to paper...there is a tremendous sense of accomplishment, when you complete an item, mark it off the list and step back, to see your overall progress and persistence. I have found motivation to be greatly influenced by the notion, that you are gaining on the goal, whatever it is. Sometimes we have more time, than money or more "want-to", than "know-how", so with a plan, big or small, good things are possible.
