rust repair level of difficulty

[jocko]

Looking at a 55 1st series - concerned about the rust in the cowl/hinge area. I'm not an experienced welder, but have the mig gear and am all for fixing it myself - but interested in hearing from someone that's done this already - replacement panels for all the areas available from many suppliers. Pics show the worst areas - just wondering how much I'm getting in over my head on this - this is THE truck I've been looking for (1/2 ton, 3 window, 4 speed, 55.1) - most of it is very nice, but I suspect i will find a good bit more rust once I get a chance to see it in person - asking the above trying to decide if I want to drive 15 hrs round trip just to check it out (ouch). Thanks for your comments.
jocko