[joedoh]

planning is useful till the first shot is fired. meaning: unless you have a lot of experience with what can and does go wrong building trucks, its better to break it in to modules, then figure out what module comes first, then do that first thing until its done. lots of people get enamored by teardown and thats the easiest part. instead, identify what has to be done first (I would probably start with the MII) and leave everything else alone, pull the front clip intact, pull the old engine and trans intact, remove the front suspension, and install the new one. dont get sidetracked tearing down a drivetrain donor, or polishing the bolts that hold the fenders together, or literally anything else until that front suspension is installed.

then move to the next thing, probably drivetrain.

but before you move from module one (front suspension) to module two (drivetrain), you will have experienced at least 3 and probably more project-ending scenarios, like a crack in the frame, or hidden accident damage, or bent framerails. do not stop, keep going. its like an onramp with a tricky merge, if you stop, you are dead, you have to keep moving until its well behind you. solve the problems one at a time as they come at you.

I can open craigslist right now and find 3 projects completely disassembled with boxes of new parts and nothing done. some guys NEED that big pile of parts, because buying parts is progress, right? no. its just piles of parts.

if you want to finish, only work on what is needed to move forward. the interior will be calling you on those cold nights.. "refinish me... paint me... polish me...", its all a waste of time in a truck that doesnt run.

not being negative, just honest.