Missing my '69

[helot13]

Allo. I used to own a busted old rustbucket 1969 Chevy camper custom that I got for free and stupidly sold after many years of solid service. Despite the protests of my wife, I am looking to get another truck to do a frame up build. I miss the truck and the hobby of tinkering with old cars.

Really just want to do something *cough "simple" *cough this time around and get back to driving something with the good old guttural growl of a V8 and the fun of a few tons of rolling American steel.

I suppose what I am having difficulty with is the research on the engine/transmission/drivetrain options because searching for answers only generates opinion. Here is my wish list coming from the perspective of someone who does not currently own a truck but wants to buy one.

I wish I could find a website that allowed you to build a drivetrain like you do a computer. Choose these parts and this is the resulting performance and price. It would be brilliant to be able to start from the engine block and see in real time how much torque and horsepower you can get for your buying dollar. While I understand it would not be perfect, even a rough estimate of the results of tweaking the system would be nice. There are so many variables you can never find solid advice on what to do.

Still, I am here because I will be building a truck next year, and the more I can learn the better.