Debating whether to keep or sell... input appreciated

[79 silverado]

So I'm wondering what the other members of the board would do in my position, and also, any suggestions as to what you think a truck like this in its current state with all faults is actually worth.

I bought my 1976 Silverado, half ton swb 2wd just a little over a year ago, so there really isn't a great deal of attachment to it yet. I wanted as near an original truck as I could find, and this one seemed to fit the bill - previous owner had it for about 34 years. My plans were to start with a good driver condition truck and take that down to make like new... needless to say, I haven't had a ton of time to do much with it aside from collecting a bunch of parts. I've hmmed and hawed about letting it go over the past 6-8 months, and one time even posted an ad but hadn't seen too much interest back near the winter holidays.

Having spent a good deal more time thinking about it all, I think my ideal truck would be a blue and white tu-tone, still a 73-80, with an inline 6 and automatic. As you can see from the pics, this is a black and red v8 truck. I'm not sure whether it is better to hang on to what I have, or depending what it could be worth in its current condition, letting it go and later on trying to find something closer to what it was I really would want to have when I'm done. I do know it would be more work and expense to change over the v8 to be an I6, and to do a complete color change rather than respray just the outside for paint. Aside from that, what do you all think?

As for condition, the truck has a bit over 130k on it, clean title, never hit. Was repainted with lacquer back in the 90s and still looks good, but there will be tiny scratches here and there, some touchups that were done by the PO over the years, and some tiny nicks in the paint. Back when all that was done, looking things over and checking under the truck you can tell they used some filler in typical areas: lower fenders, behind rear tires, at least one cab corner, etc so although the body is straight and un dented, it is a candidate for steel patches in those areas with a lower body outside the chrome trim band repaint if someone wanted to keep it black.

Rest of the interior is in nice shape, although there are a couple cracks that opened up on the dash pad and the seat cover was worn so for now it has a cheapo cover on it. Carpets, plastic trim, door panels etc are all nice.

Since I'd gotten it I had put on new Michelin ltx ms2 tires, both mufflers, an exhaust donut, had the valves adjusted, some carb work, oversized high amp battery, etc... maybe $1600 worth of work that has seen 3 or 400 miles of road time.

When I bought it it had the noisy exhaust leak and upon fixing that, a previously hidden noise was detectable - something top end, something worn out allowing valve rattling or wrist pin type noise, no metal in the oil pan, you hear it a little cold and mostly goes away once warmed up to where you need to try to listen for it. It's been driven a couple hundred miles at highway speeds, 50 mile each way trips out around Atlanta and back since then without issues so far, but eventually would probably be a repair item. The A/C is there and none of the components were pulled out of the truck, but the PO said the compressor was bad. I collected all new, and mostly A/C Delco new parts from compressor to condenser etc to swap everything at once. When most recently driving it, the brakes went low out on the road and the light came on in the dash - checking it out the front chamber of the master cylinder was emptied out of fluid so a line somewhere sprung a leak... bought the new lines but haven't had the time or where with all to get around to doing anything with it yet.

I have lots of other new goodies from new door edge guards, piles of maintenance parts like wiper blades, mechanical parts, etc, used lenses and extra mirrors, so on so forth, much (but not all) of it posted in a separate thread in the parts for sale section... and I'm debating selling the truck as well to find some workshop improvements at a new house we're closing on at the end of next month.

Would you guys sell it or keep it? How much would you think a truck like it might be worth? It's located in Georgia so that is the general market I'd be looking at selling it in most likely.

There's more pics in the thread from when i bought it click here, nothing really having changed much visually on the truck and I'll attach some new ones from this afternoon to the thread (including the landscaping supplies and trees we just bought in the background for the current house and the not-yet-fully unloaded bed )

Today's pics from the iphone while standing in the sun with the truck in the share, excuse any hazyness: