I think modified is best. Sure original is great and sometimes seems nicer it isnt always safe to drive especially in alot of traffic or if its not all well taken care of. I think if you werent going to change too much I would think of the safety changes that could be made. I didnt and now I have a smashed drivers side that I am rebuilding. Personally I do like most original drive-trains also but they are hard to come by in some years. Convience is also another factor as even the minute things can start to get in the way. The height of the hood when raised on a 48-52 is on very good example. Go with what floats the boat or yanks the crank I say.

 

Go stock and keep it stock for as long as you can. Once they are gone, they are gone, can't bring them back.

Stock has style for you will be driving a piece of history, a truck that was at one time technologically advanced. Feel it as you drive, sense the harshness of the turns, the occasional rattle, the flathead clipping up and down. Those are intangibles that can never be experienced once modified. Sometimes we lose the appreciation of what we have by thinking of what can be, but rarely do we stop and appreciate what already is.

Jim

http://www.48f-1.com

 

Stock never goes out of style..... -4speed

 

THANK...YOU! Stock never goes out of style. Mods are kool, but the trends tend to pass and you gotta do it all over. Not talking about safety upgrades. God KNOWS I'd love pwr steering in the Daisy - she's my daily driver! I like to use street rods as an example. They are brand new cars w/60 year old bodies on them, and there are ALWAYS those leftovers from the '80s that remind me of Miami Vice!

Stock to me represents the culture that I missed out on, but it's always a personal choice. If you dig mods, do it with your heart: Safety mods first, then represent your personality. Don't just do it because you think like so many other sheep out there that think if it's old, it needs customized to the hilt!

Anyway, I'm doing stock, but with period speed goody upgrades so it's still representative of a time that I sadly missed out on. It's why I prefer stick over automatic, I love to feel the machine!

- Step Up Or Step Aside
Von Walp and the Voodoo Daisy

 

Yeah. What they said.
Don't ya love it when you ask for an opinion and get twenty? Well, here's mine.
What I found out is that what I wanted in the truck changed as the truck evolved. I don't guess that's a problem when you are only trying to get it back to stock.
I'm now looking at a lot more customization than I ever originally contemplated. Partly because I saw more cool stuff that turned me on and partly because my skill level also evolved. The biggest thing is that I'm much more excited about the project.
I started out thinking about what mods would give the best resale, and still fit the budget, etc. That is still a factor in considering what I want to do, especially the budget part, but not a deciding factor. If your truck doesn't have a big resale value today, it means nothing about 5 years from now (when there aren't anymore of the "good" model years left).
Face it. Resale of the usual pickup truck just isn't a big deal. Get a Nomad or a vintage Vette.
If you can get what blows your skirt up on the budget you can afford, wow. That's a deal!