[dsraven]

if another project is seriously contemplated (with appoval from the wife, as that can be a big deal when you start spending a lot of time in the shop and money on stuff) i would try to find something that is in good enough shape so you don't have to spend a lot of time and money on repairs to the actual truck body. those repairs are what takes a lot of time. if you find something solid, body wise, you can spend some time, elbow grease and a few bucks to get it cleaned up and then work on a driveline and suspension for it that fits the budget and also quenches the thirst for some shop time. you would have a driveable truck in less time and then when the bug hits again you can maybe do some body work and paint on it, if you still like it at that point. maybe you could find a project somebody else gave up on. the reason I am doing a frame swap on my 57 is because the donor comes with a lot of stuff that takes time and money to get done. it was a fully operational driving truck before it became a donor. (it was an insurance write off due to the cost to repair the body. nothing wrong with the driveline or frame etc.
anyway, like I said before, if you want an old truck that drives like a modern deck truck that is possible with the big fendered field truck, you could do a frame swap and that gets you a full modern engine, trans, rear axle, etc., it is a lot of work to get the cab and sheet metal set up in the right spot let alone all the other stuff like rads, exhaust, fuel tanks, linkages etc etc. so you will be in for some work for sure. less work if the body is solid and you don't mind driving a patina truck for awhile till you see if you like it or not. but behind the cab is simply a deck which can be made to a tilt deck later-after it is running and driving and you decide if you like it or not. check locals laws etc before you start any of that stuff, just to ensure you go down the right path when you start.