Thanks for the thoughts. I spent some time doing a real price out what an rebuild/upgrade to the 12 bolt would look like...it gets more expensive than I thought. I think the 9" is worth the extra money in "resale" value and that I can just swap it when the time comes. I'll post the specifics on what I buy/build, but the $2500 all in from Strange looks hard to beat.
Those suspension setups look pretty awesome, but that is a bit of sticker shock for me. I should mention the truck does already have aftermarket front control arms. I'm not 100% positive, but they look like these from western-chassis. Not sure if they are any good...I will say they don't seem lightweight.
https://westernchassisinc.com/1963-7...Arm-Set-Lower/
https://westernchassisinc.com/1963-7...ntrol-Arm-Set/
Step68, I hear you on the LS. I've definitely thought about it. Is the lack reliability on 383s and 400s because they are carb'd? I was hoping injection would add some drivability. If I went LS, I'd would have to scrap the injection that I just built, and add on some more costs like headers, and an MS3, etc. I'll probably push out that decision until I get the suspension and rear-end figured out. I'm definitely open to it, but there is a cost/enjoyment balance somewhere in there.