[jocko]

If you love drag racing, and I do too, I would not start with a C20. You'll spend 75% of your budget overcoming power/weight ratio to even be remotely competitive. Make it your hauler/tow vehicle and grab a nova. Yes, there is the infamous "farm truck" you see on tv and youtube - but, no offense to anyone running such a setup, but it seems like a lot of money to spend just to be different. If you really want to go racing, a C20 isn't a good starting point. If you wanted to build an air-ride road racer, a swb C10 is the starting point for a truck, again, not a C20. Of course there are exceptions - but that's why they are "exceptions."

On the other hand, if your heart is set on it. Stick a big block in it, a higher stall converter, and see what breaks first - then go from there.

As for experience, since you asked... MY first car and build ever was a 57 bel air. I had the EXACT same mindset you have now. I wanted a drag car. I wanted to be able to barely make it to the strip legally, uncork the headers and get sideways - yep, 'ol "Jungle Jocko".... So, I stuffed a huge cam, tunnel ram, dual holleys, and pretty much every dime I made into it between the age of 15 and 27. It actually ran, and ran well - homework paid off. Just not literally. Including the price of the car (a hefty $2500 back in the day), I had at least $13k wrapped up in my hot rod. I joined the service, it sat in my pop's garage for 10 years, and I sold it out of guilt when he retired because I was hogging all his garage space (for $3800, and I'll never forget that day.. Even my mom cried - and, worst of all, the guy who bought it was what I would become in the next 20 years - some guy whose first car was a 57 bel air that regretted selling his first car! Ha). So, the experience moral of the story - make sure your plan is realistic - and see it through. Much easier said than done when it comes to drag cars. If you don't live every second for it, it's a touch investment to make. And if you want to still drive your truck off the track, then everything you mod will be a compromise between drivability and reduced ET. My lesson learned was to get the solid driver first, enjoy it, build a drag care later when you have the resources to devote to it. And you may already be at that point (I wasn't) - and, if so, and this is your dream truck, well, I cannot wait to see what you do with it. Will be fun to watch your progress. Man, I sound like my Dad did when I yanked the motor out of that 57... Sorry!