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Van,
I'll find out what Donny wants for his truck.
As far as welds go, a weld can look good and still not be good. This is especially true of mig welds where penetration can be poor. Many student welders are amazed to see what they percieve as a great looking weld fail horribly during destructive testing. Moral of the story, leave the welding of safety related items to the profession and certified welders - such as roll cages, seat mounts, seat belts, power steering, motor mounts etc. Leave the muffler work, rust restoration, rock sliders and tire carriers to the hack shade trees or what the welding trade calls "Gypsy Weldors".
Of course, if it's your own truck - have at it but if you going to pay someone, make sure they are what you think they are and your getting what you think you'r paying for - ask to see some certifcations! This goes for wrenching too, an ASE mechanic is likely to better on average than one who is not certified.
This is relevant in that many trucks have been through the hands of people with good intentions who's plans did not work out the way they intened - myself included. Everyone starts out somewhere. Ideally, you don't want to buy something that someone learned on or experimented with. Here is where sticking to a stock truck will pay out in spades vs buying one that is heavily modified or has had extensive "restoration" work.
Cavet Emptor! Buyer beware! Have someone like Ryan or Wisam look over anything your interested in buying. If nothing else, what they find will be valuable in creating leverage for price negotiations between you and the seller.
-Stumbaugh
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