Great stuff guys, so far I have read lots of ideas for me to try. As to answer some of the questions, I will be painting the whole car, lets not forget it is a hi-boy and it will have a rag insert in the top, which as you will note takes up a considerable portion of he roof. I am not sure on the exact finish I want, I think I will do a bit of practise work on some old panels I have laying around. I guess the whole idea is a bit strange, the more I think about it. The panel work at the moment is how it arrived in AUS from a steel graveyard in IDAHO! I have removed all the large dents but have left some character dents present to give it the "authentic" look. Of course I will be failing the Nostalgia theme on the interior, seat belts, collapsable column and stronger seating. Safety is a pretty big deal for me (two kids and a wife) and to appease the "minister of finance" (read wife) it will need Airconditioning which is indeed difficult to hide in an open engine compartment.
I am going the elweirdo paint job on the outside and keeping the dents beacuse I consider this to be a one way deal. The body has been completely stripped to bare metal and all reapairs made professionally and when I saw the old girl sitting there like that I then thought why not? I could never make a straight car look like this. In the same way I can never look 16 again. "Character dents" thats what they are. Something Plastic just hasn't got. I hope everyone doesnt now think I'm a nutter.