Looking for opinions, help decide the fate of a truck...

[79 silverado]

So, its somewhat of a sad story, but looking for outside opinions on what this truck really is good for anymore (or not)... Here's the story:

Bought it years ago, back when I was in college. It had been completely redone by an older guy who ran a junkyard and passed away, his nephew inherited it, and thus it found its way onto me. I drove it for a few years, then one weekend I loaned it out to be used to move my parents stuff out of the house since they were retiring... that was the last time it ran. Broke down on the interstate, something engine related from the sounds of things. Since I wasn't driving it anymore at that point, I put it into storage as a someday project to re-do.

Recently the storage place resurfaced their yard. They asked if they could move the truck to pave under it, to which I replied sure, so long as you are careful... the guy who asked me said don't worry, they have a flatbed to use for that. Well... they weren't so careful. Even though I threw a new set of front tires on the truck since the old ones would lose air every few days, and left the key in the ignition so the wheels could be steered, they used a combination of *something* that broke, snapped back and hit the windshield, also bending the antenna and denting the door mirror in the process. Not content yet, they must have opened the hood and forced it shut, with the springs stiff from sitting, because that was slightly kinked. Still not finished, they put a scrape in the door, dent in the front fender, and then used a combination of pushing the truck sideways with a tire to turn it breaking the bead on the new tires, then pushed on the back bumper putting some small dings in that to shove the truck where they wanted it. We wont even go into what my reactions to all of this are/were.

So I'm not sure what else might have been affected by all that, but, this is what the truck was, and I'll throw in pictures of how it *is* as well. Its a 1979 LWB c10. Was originally diesel, correctly converted over to a fall date coded 1969 327, with the 3932386 cast block, the one common to the 302, 327, and 350 engines. This particular one is an FB code base 327 from a passanger car with powerglide originally, based on back when I ran its numbers. Automatic transmission, 12 bolt peg leg rear end, normal spring packs. It has dual tanks which worked well, a/c, hydroboost brakes, all the goodies. Back when parked, the cab corners had started rusting, but the rockers were still sound and hadn't any rust on them. Also, the passenger floor was good, but the drivers floor had rust on the toeboard area in a triangle shape, something that had originated where the cab mount ended inboard to the truck and was working out towards the kick panel and where the body mount was. The bedfloor had previously been patched, and is getting some rust again under the large rubber mat that is in the bed from rainwater being trapped underneath.

Back in its day, the truck ran strong, shifted smooth, steered like a brand new truck no doubt from the old-timer who had rebuilt/restored it. Everything worked and it never let me down once, until I loaned it to the parents for the move and they had something in the engine let go.

I know given enough time, money, dedication, anything is fixable. But what are opinions on whether this truck is even worth it? After all that recent body damage and what not, I almost feel as though I'm better finding another from the southwest eventually and going that route, when I am ready... which begs the question.

Is this something that is likely to sell from sitting parked in Massachusetts as it sits? Is this such a big project at this point that nobody is likely to even want it? Is it a case where I am better off pulling some select parts and the low-mile stuff off the truck and just scrapping the shell?

Throw out what you all would do if it was yours... pictures to follow...