This is going to be quite a project.
Its definitely do-able.
I will try to come up with some more thoughts later, but let me post these first.
SAFETY!!
Working on something like this can kill you if you act stupid. But, all it takes are some simple rules and a little common sense, and you will be fine.
First, CHOCK YOUR WHEELS.
In other words, put something in front and back of the wheels to keep the car from rolling.
If you put the car in park, or leave it in gear to keep it from rolling, and then get under it and take the driveshaft loose to change the U-joints, it is then free to roll.
I personally know two people that did that.
Both survived, but learn from their mistakes.
Jacks are for lifting, not holding.
Invest in a set of jackstands. They are pyramid shaped steel units with an adjustable shaft coming out the top that you put under the axles to either hold them up or catch them if the jack fails.
Keep it as stock as you can.
You will find more modifications here than you can imagine. None of them is beyond your abilities.
Heck, if some of these guys can do it........
But, if you start swapping axles or transmissions, you are going to find that the manuals you are using will become less and less relevant.
First, get it to be a safe and reliable truck, then decide what you want to be able to do with it.
Whoa is more important than go.
Brakes and steering are more important than the engine.
A truck that sits in the driveway because it won't crank, is a pain.
One that will do 100 but won't stay in the road and has only one wheel stopping it, is worse.
A skip in the engine is not as important as soft spongy brakes.
What you are trying to do, is one of the most satisfying things I know.
When you get in a car that you helped rebuild, you OWN that car.
If you hear a strange noise, or something does not work right, there is no feeling of helplessness wondering what that is, and how much will a mechanic charge to fix it.
Plus you are teaching your son self-reliance. If he is driving along and the car quits, odds are he will get home just fine.
If not, you might get a call to bring him a part, not send a wrecker, or "it just quit, help".
I drove a '60 model CJ5 Jeep as my daily driver for 10 years.
In those 10 years, it never failed to get me home. Not always with the same parts it started out the day with.
To this day, I could change out a front wheel bearing in the dark, with no light, in the woods.
In the rain.
If you are going to go ahead with the project, which I highly recommend, spring for the paid up membership, and get a decent but cheap digital camera.
It will be really nice to be able to just take a picture of something on the car, post it here, and have the people here tell you exactly what it is, whats wrong with it, and how to fix it, when you don't have a clue.
BTW, the part you are looking for is called an air cleaner housing. I am not familiar enough with that model to tell you exactly what you are going to need, but someone will chip in sooner or later that will know.
One thing to remember, the folks online here are everywhere. So you never know what time zone they are in, or what they might be doing.
You post here, you may get an answer in 5 minutes or 24 hours.
If you don't get an answer, try re-posting with a different title.
As long as you are reasonably polite and get along, these folks will get you there.
Just watch out for the humor.
