Hello fellow Iowan Dave! Since this state isn't that big, I must be just "down the road" a bit and can offer some experiences I had in a frame-off restoration of a '54 TF. There are a few cobwebs on the car and probably in my head as the work was done more than 40 years ago...seems like just yesterday, however. Still have the Moss catalogs from that period with my margin notes on what I needed. No one offered wood body parts or even the body panels then, so I spent a summer learning sheet metal work to make what I needed and brought home nice lengths of thick dry ash on flat car loads of machinery from my job as a young railroad brakey. The damaged wood was replaced with hand finished pieces (even then, the car was heavily rotted below the door thresholds). The car sits in my garage still waiting for some attention on the interior...none of which was available in the 60's, either. The ivory naugahyde I had made up is still like new and I hate to change it out...I keep looking for ivory colored Hidem tacking strip! The TF waits because of my wife's B...and an edict it be finished before she can no longer comforatably get in it! Good luck on the project and hollar if you want a second opinion.
Will keep an eye out for ya!
Bill