That is a sad day when a trusty vehicle says 'guzbuck you'.
Couple of things: Have you checked into a 'full motor transplant'? There are some options out there.
You can put those plastic doodads that the mud racers put on their fender wells to make their truck look bad. It won't stop the rust but it will hide it for a while.....
Otherwise, enjoy the hunt! I always like the chase of finding the right vehicle for me....
I was looking forward to it as well. That was when I thought I had time on my side. Now that I am going to be under a time crunch, I am not looking forward to it as much. I was hoping to have @mrsbozz's car and our trailer paid off before I needed to take on another loan. I thought about the motor transplant, but I just don't have the time for that right now. Given the age and the rust damage, I think it is best just to let it go.