Hi Dean - No prob. with your post, I can see how you would think that from the pics. I looked for a 79-82 for several months and everything that was cheap in comparison to this truck was junk. This truck is also a little rougher in person than it is in the pics. Up close, paint has some fisheye, tub and doors need to be blocked out to make them really right, the amby doors need adjustment and a lower striker. Suspension is tired, diffs and tcase have minor leaks, etc. Having done a couple of restos (68 Camaro, 79 Trans Am, 69 Vette) I have learned the hard way that it is usually cheaper in the long run to buy a solid truck with no rust to start with than it is to buy a cheap vehicle up front. It's the little stuff that usually sets one truck apart from the next, and the combination of rust and the little stuff can really run the cost up.
Ultimately, time will tell if I made a good purchase or not, but right now it feels like I am in good shape. I'm gathering parts right now, trying to come up with a 6.0L LQ9 engine. Have most of my suspension stuff, a warn 8274-50 and a roller fairlead bumper. Plan on doing the lift in the next couple of weeks so I can order the right bilstein shocks and then really tearing into it over the summer. Planning on a buildup thread when I do.
Greg