New to the forum, a story, and looking for suggestions...

[Harvey Mushman]

My grandfather passed away a couple of years ago and my grandma gave me one of his trucks. It is his beloved 1971 with a 402 and a long bed. My grandpa continuously used this truck since it was new. It was primarily used for Hauling wood, horses, you name it. Mechanically the truck is in good shape for its age and mileage (230,000). The motor has been recently rebuilt and I've replaced the brake system, some wiring, starter, battery, and things like this. I had the front suspension redone professionally. It is a blast to drive!!!

A couple of questions for the experts:

1. The ac doesn't work. I don't need it where I live near San Francisco but I could imagine it would be nice to have if I ever take it on longer trips. Are the after market systems superior to the factory A/C? Could I take it off now and add vintage A/C system later with no problems?

2. Paint issues. While the truck has never been in an accident there are dents and dings on almost every panel. There is no rust other than some rust where there is no paint and I don't want it to get worse. If I didn't want to invest the money in a proper paint job (was quoted 15k!) what are some good band-aids? Could I wet sand and matte clear? I polished the truck and the rust comes right off but the wax only protects the bare metal for so long.

Thanks for reading! Your expert guidance is greatly appreciated!!!