I’m in the same boat my friend. Not as bad as yours but I purchased mine , looking to mildly restore it, LS2 engine, 4l80 trans. Luckily the only rust on the truck is the arrival blue paint bubbling on the passenger side rear wheel well. totally not a issue to fix.
the shitty GM clear coat has failed on the truck, especially on the front and it needs painted from the doors forward.
seems like there’s a little play in the rear end diff, seems like the steering is a little loose, seems like a lot of little things that are now adding up. I’m debating on what I should do myself.
it’s def hard to just cut these trucks up and let them go, unless you’re in a bad no return situation. I think I’ve personally decided to just sell mine to someone who will give it what it needs.