Hello everyone. Texan here. I joined the forum because I'm in the process of looking for a 3rd generation C10 to use as a daily driver. I drive a 1985 Jeep CJ as a (mostly) daily driver and have been working on it for the last several years, so I know how to turn a wrench but I will need to lean on the Internet community when I get into the weeds on C10 projects.
My target truck is a short wheelbase that runs and drives. Being in Houston, air conditioning would be good to have. I don't have the space to do a full frame-off rebuild, so I plan to find a truck with a good frame and minimal body rust and work on it over time while keeping it on the road as much as possible. I can envision buying a $5000 truck and put $10,000 into it in the coming years. 10 grand sounds like a lot but I know how fast the costs can add up even before a new engine and transmission. Other than being a daily driver, my intent is to keep the truck mostly stock but with modifications in the usual areas of suspension, paint/trim, and probably engine and transmission. I don't want to notch the frame in the rear or lower the thing excessively. I will build the interior to keep a generally stock appearance. I know there can be some debate about the definition of restore vs. resto-mod vs. rebuild. My intent is not to restore a C10 but to rebuild it over time, fixing problems and improving things where needed and building a solid performer and daily driver.