92 K1500 OFFROAD/Commuter

[EDGECRUSHER]

Hiya, my name is Brian and I've been lurking here for a few years. I have a 92 K1500 WT that I bought maybe 9 years ago that I've babied. It has just been around for when I need to haul something or move someone. I don't take it out in the winter if I dont have to because it's in such great shape I didn't want the body rusting out. So at this point, I'm wrapping up a nasty divorce and it looks like this might need to become my main vehicle in the future. I've got it to where everything major is fixed buut there's some underlying things that I'd like to address sometime in the future and at this point in my life that timeline is what I'm trying to finger out.
Here's my baby.

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So one thing I'm pretty certain I'd like to do is put an LS motor in it. After that I'd like to do a SAS. These two things are messing me up right now because I know it would be best do these both at the same time to ensure I don't have any issues down the road like rear spring hangers getting in the way of where exhaust needs to run and such things. I'd also like to clean up the entire frame which would be easiest after the motor is pulled, the fenders and radiator support is gone and the suspension removed and brackets cut off. Whether I can have a place to do all this at once (I'm losing my house and workshop in the divorce and moving in with parents temporarily) and if I can get it done quick enough like a summer when I can drive my '70 Baja VW to work instead is still unknown.
Basically, I'd like to personally customize the whole truck to resemble one of the trucks on Offroad Design's website. I hope they don't mind me posting their pic but it's their's just so everyone knows.

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My bed is still in great condition but I want a cage with a light aluminum (flat) bed. I want to modify with weight reduction in mind in order to make a simple easy to work on rig that is also a bit more fuel efficient for the commuting I will be asking it to do. I'm good with welding and have built off road vehicles like this woods buggy which I still need to finish. So there will be a lot of tube bending and custom metal work going on which really gets me excited.

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There's a crap ton of mods I'd like to eventually do with this truck over time to make it more modern, utilitarian, and efficient and hopefuly by starting this build thread I can have some help by the rest of you.
Thanks for reading.

 

[EDGECRUSHER]

So far I think the first thing I need to do is find a 2003 4x4 I can cannibalize for parts. If I happen to get a 2WD at a price I can't resist then I'll use the 700R4 in the truck now. That would probably be the simplest way despite the kickdown cable mod it requires, (flywheel spacer too), but seeing as how I'm planning on an SAS next my front driveshaft will be scrapped eventually anyway. So I'm thinking maybe a matched set, motor/trans, would go a lot further in the reliability department. I'm not making a toy so I will start with a modest 4.8L unless a 5.3L finds me first. I'm considering a cam to improve low end a bit but finding a lower mileage engine that I wouldn't have to crack open or doing thing with right away would be great. It'll be plenty of work fitting it in there and making it go, II can wait till later to improve it. As it is it will be mega better than the TBI 5.7L I have. I'm getting just a tick over 16 mpg with it at the moment. Before I had to replace the head gaskets the year before last and I did the FPR mod to the TBI and cranked it I would get over 17 all day. That kinda sucked.
Anyway, if ya want to comment, I'm not sure where I should put a copy of this build so for now just PM me if you want.

thanks for reading