Scott,
Grab a cold beverage of your choice, and DIVE into my thread "Progress, however slow..." Long story short (don't worry, the ending isn't here yet), she's a '53 1/2 ton with an S10 frame beneath her, and an "LS" engine under the hood. There are many more details, and quite a few photos to peruse in the thread, as I have charted a course of my own doing in building exactly what >I< want in an AD. Her name is Penny, because she will be painted a color close to "Coppertone" which was available on our trucks in '53. We'll need more photos from you, and a location in your sig line wouldn't be a bad idea either. You may find you are neighbors (in the big picture) with one of us!