My 71 Fleetside and story

[71MUTT]

I bought this truck in 1978 for $1400.00 at a Chevy dealership in my hometown in Northern Minnesota. I've owned it for 28 years. It had just rolled over to 60,000 miles. Now it has over 250,000 miles on the original tranny and rear. The engine came out of a 75 Monte Carlo in 1988. The original color was copper. In 1983 I traded 10 cords of firewood for a paint job which included cab corners and rockers. By 1987, it was in real bad shape.(dam salt) Holes through the floor, wooden box all rusted to shambles. Bad shape. I almost scrapped it. I was going to by a (new) used pick-up. Drove a few 1980-1982 Chevys that were for sale. I found out that my 1971 was a better truck, so I decided to start a restoration of sorts. So this is what it finished as, in the summer of 1988.(haven't changed anything) I started in the fall of 1987 and finished in the summer of 88.
Now it's starting to get pretty bad again. I've only put 6,000 miles on it since 2000. This month I have spent about $700.00 on some things to get started. Just need to find a good body shop for the welding, priming, and painting and I'll be back in business.
People just love these old pick-ups.
Great site. I will be donating soon. I have found some great info already.