What should I look for?

[RoadWarrior]

For testing the rear end all i did was get another guy to hold one tire and then i turned the pinion and watched for what happened. If both tires want to turn i assumed it to be in fairly decent shape. If only one spun then its toast. And its not a hard job, but it does involve alot. You have to worry about brakes(lines and fittings) and the springs. the only part which might get tricky is the brakes. I know with my 82 i need custom brake lines because of where the lines are located and how they are run. And the emergency brake cable is a bit of a pain as well. But what better way to learn then by doing it.