What to do with my 300TD?

[csp97]

Need advice on what to do with my 300TD. I bought it at an auction for $1800 a couple years ago. It was my first experience into MB diesels and I do really like it, at least I like 300TD’s. Here’s the problem: cosmetically it’s in pretty bad shape. My wife won’t drive it. It needs quite a bit of work to get back to something that looks decent. Should I go after the restore or sell it and buy another 300TD that already looks good for $5000 or so?

The pros:
South Texas car – no rust
Receipts since 1991 (formerly owned by Robert E. Lee!)
Excellent drivetrain – no oil use, no leaks
70K on rebuilt transmission.

The cons:
Needs paint
Dented fender and hood
Needs seat covers
Dent on rear corner
No a/c, no cruise
Dash cracks, wood issues, cracked instrument lens
Basically spent 20 years in south Texas and never saw a garage
Needs some front suspension work

Basically I’d like to have a nice 300TD. What the best way to go about it?