Proud new owner of an all original 86 stepper

[Tilt]

I posted a few pics of it here:http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=635268 I was finally able to go by and talk to the owner. He bought it about a year ago from the original owner's son. It was going to be a project for him and his son, but he found a 72 step side shortly after this one and they have been working on that one. It runs, but barley idles. The steering column is tore apart. The key would not come out of the ignition so he let a buddy of his tear into the steering coulmn and didn't know what he was doing, so it is still in peices. Other than those 2 problems, and the God awlful custom back bumper, the rest of it seems to be in pretty good shape. It has new dist, plugs, wires, starter, front brake calipers, and some new brake lines. I am trying to decide wether I want to fix or replace the steering column and keep the 3 on the tree or swap the column and change it to a floor shift. My plans right now are to put a filp on the rear, spindles on the front. If it is still a little too high, maybe cut a coil off the front and a 1" shackel in back. I want to keep just a little rake to it. The wheels I'm looking at are 18X8.5 and 20X9.5 Vision 142 Legend 5 in the gun metal gray. I'm just having a hard time figuring out what backspacing to get and what size tires. I want the widest I can fit without major rubbing. I think I would also like to have a little more sidwall on the back than on the front.