New chevy guy. The big decision

[joebeetle]

Hey guys,
Im new to this scene so any help you can give will be greatly appreciated. Heres the low down. I am usually a honda and vw guy, never figured I couldnt afford a chevy build. Well I want to get my cousin a truck of this model for his graduation and do a semi rebuild. The thing is I have no idea what to look for or what years are better to get parts. long bed vs. short. all that. I am basically going to put all i get from the sale of my bug into this truck and take it as far as i can. so any advice is GREATLY appreciated! Hope this all makes sense. I will be selling my bug next weekend and then looking to purchase. Thanks a million