Hang in there!
I've done this a few times, but even with the 49, I took nearly a year to make the plan, and collect the stuff. From the day I started disassembly on the donor Dakota, to the point the 49 was licensed and drivable was 11 months, not counting the finish body work (the truck was in brushed on primmer). That 11 months was after retirement, 6-8 hours a day, 5 -6 days a week, fully equipped welding shop, instant cash for needed supplies on hand, and a supply chain that was not broken like it is today. Waiting for parts was well planned out (lots of lists and looking ahead). There was very little down time, most of that was actually planned.
A master plan is needed. Set things up in stages. there are things that have to be done before the next thing can be done, or you end up redoing things. Things depend on how or where other things are mounted. For instance, you can't mount the cab until you know how the front sheet metal sits, and you can't mount the front sheet metal until the cab is mounted. So you set the cab on the frame, bolt the front sheet metal together, and bolt it to the cab, then position that assembly where it needs to be on the frame and mark the frame. Then you pull that all off and mount the motor & trans, and see what has to be done to set the cab where it needs to be. You modify the cab to set on the frame around the drive train, then you add the front sheet metal and see how that works now. Then you set the box (at least the sides) up to make sure it sits right with the cab placement. Then you mark everything again, and if it all works, you can add cab mounts (only cab mounts!) to the frame.
Now you have two different projects, the frame, and the cab. Generally the cab is sheet metal work and less costly, more time consuming, more effort intense (if you do it yourself). At this point, cab work is limited to getting it bolted to the frame (floor cut outs & firewall modification for motor & trans clearance, cab to frame and fuel tank clearance), other modifications come later. The frame involves structural welding and parts upgrades (brake parts and hard and soft lines, fuel lines, motor and transmission mounts, clean up and paint {easier to clean up and paint after cab mounts are welded on and most of the frame is bare, small areas can have the paint ground off and touched up afterwards} and drive train mounting, wiring is a different step, much later). Generally the frame is more costly. There are nearly always things that can be done without spending a lot of money, but don't save all the money stuff for one time if you can help it. Once the cab can be bolted on the frame (all the clearance holes covered again, the frame is ready), you can move to the front sheet metal. You have to mount it, figure out where you are going to put the needed things like a battery, wiring, radiator, heater/AC lines, AC condenser, inner fenders (I'm sure there is more
).
As you begin a stage, order and plan out the stuff you think you will need for the next stage (make a list of the plan and the parts/material needed), then by the time you are ready to start that stage, most of the stuff will be on hand. Plan a few days away from the project after each stage is completed (your family will like that, and it refreshes your perspective seeing progress). As you prepare to start the next step in the process, look at what needs to be done on the stage that follows the current step, and make a plan for that stage and order the parts you think you will need. Then work on the current step at hand. I've spent more that a few days sitting and staring at the truck, thinking about what needs to be done, and what comes first. Lists are invaluable, date each list, and add something that you might have missed in the process (date that too). I had a master list, then a list for each step, updated as needed.
A year to pull this off for the 1st time is pretty optimistic, but never say never.