some good point Dave. it is such a personal decision. really the advice from me is to trade up at best. close second is a body swap and third would be repair. im not an advocate of swapping bodies as i like things all original but I dont like repaired rusty as I've never seen it done right...ever. There are some places you just wont get to the backside of which means oxidization and further rust after an $$ paint job :(

you need to consider the economics of it. even if you do it in your spare time... what else could you be doing??? Driving the wheels off one that you'd completed a year or more eariler!