You are a girl after my own heart.
I have a 51 3100 Chevrolet. It has the five window cab. It is a basket case….but I still see myself driving it down the road someday. The most that I have got done to it is replacing the front suspension with a 74 Nova clip. I, like you have a list of things that I want to do to it, but all these things take money. Some of the things on my list are chopping the top 3 inches, suicide doors, shaved door handles, roll pan in the front,69 Elcamino rear bumper(shortend)383 engine with a 350 or 400 turbo transmission. I undecided what type of wood I want to use in the bed. I do know that I want to use those neat bed strips were the bolts don’t show.

Well I wish you luck on your project. I know I would rather take my old 51 then a new SSR.

The rust… will NEVER stop. It’s a law of nature, and running a current through metal makes it rust faster(why all cars are grounded through the frame? Maybe so you’ll eventually buy another car, I dunno) So if you really want to stop the rust, the entire car must be dipped- in acid. Spend the money on this step, and your grandkids will own it one day. Search for a reputable company that has an extensive portfolio. The parts should be electro-coated after to seal the bare metal(it’s a primer that gets EVERYWHERE, like inside the roof pillars and door rockers). Do the research and spend the money on this step, it will make your project.