new paint??

[97noma]

ok i bought my truck from my uncle over the summer and it has a fair share of dents, dings, and scratches but other than that its a great truck...but i want to get it painted after winter. i already picked out a paint taht i have loved since the first day i saw a Colorado painted this color.the paint is called Sunburst Orange Metalic and it is on alot of Colorados and Cavaliers. im going to do most of the bodywork myself to cut down on costs but some of the dents are gonna take alot of work. also my tailgate is a piece of s*** and barely opens.i cant decide if i want to buy a replacement tailgate or just shave the whole backend of the truck. if i shave the back end what is the easiest way to weld it shut?? can the tailgate skins be welded in or do they not have enough support to hold up..because i dont want a california combo because i have plans for a different rollpan?
thanks

[BlazinLow_inORE]

they have other tailgate skins besides the cali combo... u just have to look around.
If you or someone you know is good with metal.. you could get some 18 gauge( i think that is what it is) and mold one yourself. That why you can it how you would like it.

[Hammer]

if you're going to do that much work, i'd check out the condition of it underneath first, and see if the bed is rusting out, pitted, etc. you can get a replacement from the junk yard for a decent deal, do all you work on it off the truck while you beat the snot out of the one on it.

i have seen many trucks that have had the skins repaired and the surface but the underneath was garbage.... just a few ideas.

plus if the bed is out of square, whats the point?