ocnblu

I worked for this organization for 3.5 years at their Lancaster location.

No Trailblazer??

Yes but that is not cloning.

I'm against clones. I am for restoration to original, except for suspension and brakes, which I think can be done for safety sake.

No one

Probably eligible for a frame replacement. Someone should check into it.

"EV Planning Department" LOL

Did anyone ever get the feeling they should shed as much debt as possible, as quickly as possible?

I did, this is old news to car guys.

Truck had its second oil change/tire rotation today, at 12.6k miles.

Is that lean-to for coal?

2.0L Kona is nice. The Venue is a good replacement for the Accent hatchback. The Tucson is nice, and the Veloster, in base form, is very affordable. The Santa Fe looks good this time around, and the Palisade is selling well. The Elantra GT hatch is practical and sporty.

Kaiser?

Honestly, I would not go with your stated plan, unless you plan on trading/selling the truck immediately afterward. The longest lasting repair involves cutting out and replacing the affected panels, either whole with OEM parts, or with aftermarket "patch panels" that would span the area known to rust (cut out the area above the wheelwell and weld in the replacement partial panel). Just treating the outside surface of the affected panel is a waste of time, as by the time you see the bubbles outside, the inside is already gone, the problem starts inside and will quickly visibly return unless the whole affected area is replaced. Wheel flares actually exacerbate the problem because they hold moisture. The panel needs to "breathe" so moisture dries inside the panel. Wheel flares prevent air circulation. Here in PA, I cannot tell you how many times we've gotten a pickup truck (mostly Dodges with factory flares, but also GM '07-'13 with aftermarket flares) in the shop with bedside damage, a wheel flare takes a chunk of rusty bedside panel with it when it is removed, totally complicating a collision repair. The rocker panels and cab corners rust out on Fords of the same era. The '07-'13 GM trucks were engineered during lean times at the corporation. I am not sure if it was a metal quality problem, or a lack of designed-in drainage function to prevent the build-up of dirt/moisture inside the bed panels, but the problem is way too common (with or without aftermarket wheel flares) at least here in my area of the country. That is a beautiful truck, sorry you have to deal with this. It's too soon, imo!

Renault 4, Citroen Ami.

I like Citroen products, from afar, so that is based purely on surface design aesthetics . Personal experience with French cars is limited to my mom's '81 Renault Le Car (purchased from Nolt AMC/Jeep/Renault in Lancaster, PA brand new). She loved that thing and it was reliable for her over the 100k miles she put on it. Back then, there was not so much homogenization in mechanical engineering as there is today across brands, with more conglomerates and fewer individual car companies left. An old French car with long travel mechanical or air suspension is the best riding car you will ever know. Comical on corners, but level and so perfectly smooth on straights.

BMW, Benz and Audi, wow, such a stellar performance by the poshest German brands in their home country... much amusement here.

1963 called...

In some contexts, a semi can be an embarrassment.

That is a cool little homage. Not trying to be non-participatory, I just can't decide on my own list.