Suspension Advice

[brad121860]

Looking to do my first resto-mod project on a 67 shortbed. I think I have a pretty clear vision with the exception of the frame/suspension, so I would appreciate any advice from those of you who have done one. I will be doing an LS conversion with automatic overdrive. I don't plan on road racing, but I want it to handle and ride like a newer truck or better. Planning on using 2.5 drop spindles and lowering the rear 4"(this is the ride height I want, not slammed) and adding 4 wheel disc brakes. As far as the rest, I am wondering where I will get the most bang for my buck when it comes to rack and pinion conversion, tubular control arms, etc. and what are the "must do's" to get it done. When looking at suspension upgrade options, I quickly realized you can easily spend the cost of a new custom frame when you start upgrading. As I said, I really want to improve ride and handling over stock, but I just don't want to spend anywhere near 15k to 20k on a custom frame or upgrading mine. On the other hand, I don't want to invest a ton of money and time building a nice truck and skimp on the suspension. I realize this is subjective, but any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Brad