I took a break from working on the truck for the past couple of days, got to sit and think about how to go about repairing and replacing just about everything on this truck. I've started putting together a list of things that need attention, and I'm still trying to prioritize everything, but I think I've got a decent idea of what order to go in.

I want to post it on here because I know y'all have advice for just about everything, but I kinda need to put it all down somewhere to help me organize it. And so I can double check if I'm missing anything. Apologies beforehand if this post gets really long.

I've got to make a decision on whether I keep this specific truck and fix everything, or drive it until I find a better starting point and then turn it into a parts truck.

Starting from the most critical issues:

1. Frame Rust
I've had a good look at the back half of the frame, and it's not pretty. There's some spots that are really thin, and others that are practically gone. The rear spring perches are thin and have some holes, the bump stops are completely gone, the rear fuel tank mount is completely gone, the spare tire carrier literally fell off, and there's not much left of the section that the rear bumper mounts to. It's still solid enough that I would fell comfortable driving it on the road, but it wouldn't survive any real stress like hauling a heavy load, or taking an off road trail. The front half is perfectly fine though, there is at least 20 years worth of oil leaks built up on the entire underside and the inch thick layer of oily dirt has been working beautifully as a rust inhibitor.
I have thought about the frame rust issue for a while, and I've got three options:
1. Find a donor frame. I would need to find a 2nd Gen, single cab, short bed, 4x4 for cheap enough that I could justify buying it only for parts. I'd love a parts truck, but I need to keep it as cheap as possible and I can't hold on to it for long. If I could find a completely stripped bare frame, that would be the easiest/cheapest option. The problem is that I don't have anywhere to store either a donor truck or an entire frame until I could swap everything over, or enough space anywhere to easily do the swap. I do have access to a shop with a lift, but I can only use one repair bay at a time.
2. Fix my current frame. I would have to buy a welder, all of the accessories, and a lot of plate steel. Then spend a few weeks going at it with the welder, an angle grinder, and a few prayers. I would need more time and money than I really have to put towards this, but I do have a garage that I could do this in.
3. Replace just the bad section of my current frame. I could find a junk donor truck, in a salvage yard or someone's backyard, that has a decently solid rear frame section and cut off what I need. I'd be able to toss the section in the back of this truck, drive it over to a shop that I can use the lift, then cut off the rotted section on my current frame and graft the new one on. I'd use a rectangular tube, sleeve it on the inside, drill some holes and do plug welds, weld all the way around the seam, then plate the outside with a diamond shape and paint it all black. It would be faster than doing either of the previous two options, I don't need to find somewhere to store another entire truck, and I can probably get the section of frame for pretty cheap comparatively. I also wouldn't need to buy a welder, but I would need to take a lot of measurements and cut carefully.
I'm leaning towards the third option, but I'd have to wait for a few months until it's warm enough to actually tackle it. The truck will survive long enough to get everything ready, but I don't want to let it go too long.

2. Body rust
The cab has some rust in the driver's side floor, the rockers are almost completely gone, and the body plugs need to be replaced. The pinch weld is still pretty solid somehow, and I have the (incorrect) rocker panels that I can use(modify) to fix the rockers. If I want to keep this cab floor, I'm going to fix it the best I can. If I decide to hold out for a donor truck with a rust free body, or find a better truck, I'll just patch the holes and drive it.
I can either fix the hole in the floor properly, cut out all the rot and weld in new sheet metal, or just remove the rust, paint it black and screw in a panel to cover the hole and use seam sealer to keep the water out. Same with the rockers, I can cut out the rotted section, modify the rocker panels I have and weld it all in, or just clean off all the rust, spray some black paint in there and screw the new rocker panels on. I might be able to bend the door sills on the new rocker panels and make them fit, instead of cutting them up and welding them back together.
The fenders have a little bit of bubbling under the paint, but no holes. The bed seam is the same, little bit of bubbling but no holes.

3. Brakes
There's a busted hard line right next to the fuel tank, and my immediate plan is to replace just the rusted out section, about 6 inches, using flare fittings and some nicopp line. Eventually I will replace all of the rusted hard lines and all of the rubber hoses, but right now I just need to get the brakes functional.

4. Fuel System
I need to order a fuel filler neck and gas cap, and finish replacing the rest of the rubber lines. I will be flushing the hard line before connecting it to the carb, and putting new fuel filters before the pump, after the pump. and before the carb. I also need to properly mount the fuel pump and wire it. I haven't decided if I'm doing an oil pressure safety switch, but I will definitely be doing a relay.

5. Engine/Trans
I need to get a fuel pump block off plate, degrease the entire engine compartment and underside of the truck, and then start looking for any leaks. After I get the truck running and driving for a few weeks, I will be draining the transmission, transfer case, and front & rear axles and refilling with new gear oil. I will need to find the shift boots directly on top of the trans and T/C, both are cracked and have been leaking for a long time. I've got a new oil pan gasket that I'm going to wait to replace until after the truck has been washed, because I really don't like working on a dirty truck.

6. Exhaust
I will probably just clamp the exhaust I have onto the end of the header and take the truck over to an exhaust shop. I will be calling them before going over, ask them if they have an actual 2 1/2" header collector instead of the 1 1/2" reducer that came with this header and asking if they will insist on a catalytic converter... If they won't do it without a cat, I know where to find a 2 1/2" 200 cell race cat for $80. If they don't care I'll just have them do 2 1/2" straight pipe back to the muffler and have it dump right behind the rear axle. I would do all of it myself, but I can't seem to find enough 2 1/2" pipe for cheap.

7. Suspension
I will be pulling the torsion bars out and clocking them so that the front is close to level with the rear and replacing the front shocks. I have already replaced the rear shocks. I will eventually be getting polyurethane bushings for the front upper and lower control arms, poly bushings for the leaf springs, and doing all new steering components before taking the truck to an alignment shop.

8. Interior
I need to pull the dash out, pull apart the HVAC assembly and clean it, replace (or rebuild if I can) the heater valve, clean all the ducts, pull out everything that I don't want getting wet and pressure wash the inside of the cab, pressure wash the carpet and try to make it grey instead of black, vacuum the bench seat, and start putting everything back together. I will have to try and find a new instrument cluster hood and center dash panel, new door cards, both the upper and lower shift boots on the floor of the cab, and figure out some kind of cupholder. Then I need find or make brackets to install the stereo, mount the tachometer, and replace every bulb I can with LEDs.

9. Exterior
I can't decide if I want to pressure wash and cut/polish/wax, make the truck shine... Or leave the moss growing on it and drive it "junkyard fresh". It will depend on how much effort I will have already put into the truck by the time it's running and driving, and if I want to put more effort into it.

Sorry about the length, but I needed to get my thoughts put down somewhere. If I get advice on any or all of it, then I'll be able to get this truck back on the road even easier.

Thanks for reading.