I have a 3204 that is basically stock. It needed things to be safe, cleaner inside, and all around functional. I replaced the engine because what I had was tired. It had already been converted to a 4-sp. I wanted it to be a simple resto-mod I could drive reliably that I didn't have to sink tens of thousands into.
One thing I that I didn't see here was to change out the wheel bearings from ball type to rollers. I don't remember part numbers but it was pretty easy to figure out as I recall. Drum brakes just rebuilt it all because of cylinder leaks. Stops fine with a firm foot.
Like the others said, radial tires make a big diff.
