[64shortbox]

Like jayoldschool stated,
I would get an econo box and drive it saving your truck for occasional nice day driving when you get the need or urge. Here's why I say this. 140 miles a day round trip, 5 days a week, 52 weeks in a year - that's 36,400 miles a year.

I faced the same dilemma as you 15 years ago. I bought a new econo box with a stick shift to satisfy my manual transmission fix. I only drive 60 miles round trip daily. My econo box now has over 286,000 miles on it. I've been lucky enough to avoid accidents because of antilock brakes due to stupid drivers - read oh - here's some standing water lets panic and slam on the brakes while going down the freeway in the pouring rain. I ate a chain binder that fell off a semi trailer, got rear ended by some gal, I don't know how many hunks of semi tire tread got flung up at me over the years. I think the roof of my econo box is the only part of the car that isn't dented, scraped or banged up. My windshield is so badly pitted from blowing sand it's glaring at night with oncoming lights.

Other things to think about - at 286,000 miles my econo box, the front seats are thrashed, I've replaced 2 cooling fans, 2 radiators, rear lower control bushings, power steering pressure switch, all of which are available within that same day or two. Do you really want to treat your 61 like that? I know I sure didn't want to treat my 64 C-10 like that. Oh, as a plus, since my econo box is 99% freeway driving and I don't use the clutch to upshift & NEVER downshift to slow down I still have the original clutch, pressure plate & throwout bearing in the car. When I get the need to drive my 64 I can hop in it and take it to work if I want but that's very rare. It mostly comes out on nice weekends. I don't want my truck to get trashed by road debris & stupid drivers. I drive the 99 here in Communist California which is rated the absolute worst freeway in the US for accidents & deaths.

Don't get me wrong I DO use my truck.