That should be a '54. You can tell by the one piece windshield that doesn't 'wrap around' like the '55-up trucks do.

I'll be watching this closely too. Back when I was in HS, a friend of my Dad's had offered to GIVE me a '54 Panel like this. It had been a Schlitz beer truck. Truck needed w-a-y too much for a 17 yr old to tackle so I never too him up on it. Later, I would day dream about putting the body on a Dakota frame, maybe even a Dak 4X4 frame (I wanted to build it to road trip and camp in).

Good luck with it!