I have a 52 F-1 i'm working on. I decided to keep the flathead V8 because everyone else stuffs a 350/350 combo in them. Just my decision...trying to be different, I guess. Anyway, I just installed a 4-speed T-10 and am re-building my exhaust system to clear the rear trans mount I crafted. The bed comes off as a unit, as does the front end, then the doors, and then the cab. That's about it...pull the engine/tranny and you're down to the frame. Sandblast it and use Por15 on it and it's done. Decide on springs, and rear end and front axle (rebuilt mine) and then work on the engine/trans install while the body is off. You can always drop the cab and front end for position only during that process. Mine was a rust bucket like yours....sand blaster and a plasma cutter are your friends. Clean all body panels down to bare metal and then fill and prime and paint. Steering, shocks, glass replacement, rubber parts and glass gaskets, etc. are in your future. Read everything you can on these trucks and keep exploring new vendors for pricing. I'll post some pics tomorrow. Good luck!