What should we do?

[u/Darrelltrail]

This 1993 dakota sport belongs to my dad, he got her as a gift from my mom in 1998, she had 24,000 miles on her when he got her, he has put almost 100,000 on her, she was his work truck up until late 2020, when he was driving over some railroad tracks, and the tire blew, no biggie right? WRONG!.... long story short he lost the keys for 4 years, he finally found them, and now after setting for 4 years, she has been infested with mice, bugs, and other things, I keep trying to tell him that it may not be worth it, but he won't budge, I want to help him at least try to get her in running and driving condition, what should we do, any tips?

[u/Cobolic1]

I would honestly strip it back to frame, put new brake lines on it, fix any rust, remove the engine and either rebuild it, or junkyard replacement that was in an accident so you know the engine was running. Or possibly an LS swap with a new wiring harness. Would be running again. Then you can paint it yourself with rustoleum mix or a single stage or if you feel lucky, base/clear coat.

You would have a nice looking and running truck for 1/10th the cost of a new truck, and this one would be full of memories for your dad.