John;
That is a great truck and story. When I first looked at your thread I opened the pictures to see what you were working with. First thing I saw was the front fenders. I immediately thought of the movie Heartbreak Ridge. They may not kill you but they'll definitely break your heart trying to get them right. Then I saw that you have good replacements and had to chuckle.
Anyway, your plan sounds good. If I had to provide one opinion, I'd say go with the 235 over the 283. A straight six is in that truck's soul.
Good luck!!
