As I struggled with bodywork skills that were below my mind's goal, I have been telling myself "in five years from now, when this is peppered in rock chips and door dings, and the engine is coated in road grime and blow-by residue, how much am I going to give a (crap) about how imperfect it is?"
It's a truck. Use it.
Plus, it's lasted 60 years before I got it. If it lasts another 60 years, I'll be well over 100 and should not be driving.
And second full fill-up (about 50gal so far, 224 miles). That's less than 5mpg, but it's been a lot of idling and tuning.