to the board from Mid-MO!!!
It's always nice to have a great story tied to an old truck, and even better when it's related to family. The '69 looks to be in great shape for being 40 years old and will make a great resto project. Be sure to start a project build thread when you begin to work on the stepper.
Bolt by bolt, and piece by piece, it doesn't matter how long it takes, or how much you put into it; your Paw Paw will just be happy in knowing the truck is being taken care of and loved just like he did.
BTW, be sure to check out the South Carolina section of the board as the members in that area meet rather often and are having a Spring Fling within the next month or so. You will not find a better group of people than the ones associated with this site.