Made some progress.
I had a coroplast nose on so I could drive around and not have the top blow open, but I redid it in plywood. My father has been busy and unable to have me over, and since he has a ton of tools I don't (particularly a reciprocating saw), I just decided to do a V nose.
Coroplast might be here to stay, though I'll need to make some modifications to waterproof the lid. Still thinking about it.
I had a few unmatching greys and silvers, partly empty, so I decided to give it a "camo" look and mix the paints.
Apparently Home Depot no longer carries lift-off hinges, so I ordered a few online, and am waiting on them to get here.
For now, I put the original fenders back on (mounted higher) so I can drive it around without slinging bits onto other drivers.
EDIT: Construction of the top is looking to be around $80. Hinges, deck screws, pressure treated lumber / plywood add up, but it's still cheaper than anything I could find on Craigslist. Coroplast was free, paint was leftover.