I decided to do this as a running restoration up to the point where I need to dismantle the truck to a point where it is no longer roadworthy from a legal point of view.
That way I get to use the truck as much as possible all year and also get to feel out it's niggles and figure out what parts I need to buy to either fix bits or improve its handling, stance and general safety.
When I bought the truck, I missed out on some bits in my excitement to own it, which have surfaced in the mean time.
Anyway, the truck came with heavy sheet metal bed covers and a split rear tailgate that was given to me by the previous owner as he had replaced it with a new tailgate, but he had left the metal channels that had been welded on the top of the bed sides. See pics below.
I started cutting the welds back with a grinder.
Sanded back.
Note my neighbours Beetles as well on his drive, he also has about 4 Harleys and works as and engineer/machinist (Very handy)
Once sanded back, I bare metalled the the whole side and removed about a wheelbarrow load of Bondo as well
Added some red oxide primer, tried the new wheels I had bought as well.
While I was at it, I removed the side filler flaps and welded up the holes, presumably long distance tanks that were fitted before at some point in the trucks life.