Im new! 78 c10 pretty beat up, pointers?

[billm90]

Hey all,
I'm new here.

I am going to TRY to get right to the point.

1978 C10 big ten.
I think it has a van 350 engine (timming marks on cover are at the 12 o'clock position) and th350 trans.
I tried painting it myself as it was nasty looking (someone hit and run on it as well). I need to try that out again. aside from what has been mentioned, It is pretty much stock. I knew the original owner. I am also working on the interior. nothing show like, just enough to look at it. it was brown, now black.

this weekend I needed to smog it. on the way I think I spun a rod. I have a rod knock (I think) but pretty sure. mileage... spun a few times I am sure.

The th350 has been leaking trans fluid out the yoke, not the rear seal, the yoke, for over a year.

So I decided I would like to fix this thing up a little. Now about me so we understand where I am comming from. I am into vettes, I have built my 90 and it has blown up and I need to fix that as well. I have an 01 as a daily driver. I am buying a house now that has a good garage for me to tear into cars, so I would like to do some stuff on the truck first, but hopefully on the cheap since it is worth what ~$500.00?

Hopefully you guys can give me some help/pointers.

the goal: cheap, and make this thing as vette like as possible.

1, the engine probably needs to be rebuilt, whats the best route, I looked at rebuild kits and short blocks. Whats the best way to go? (I used the truck to move the engine in my vette, so this truck build will be a catch 22)
Also: why is no one here supercharged? I was looking at the smog legal kit. tempting...

2, th350. the leaking yoke? why? I think the trans is going strong... after I add more fluid.

3, the front bushings look destroyed, it needs a rebuild. whats the way to go for the whole front end?

4,Last I would like to lower the truck, add sway bars, shocks, tires and wheels, and make it handle. I dont know how to do this. lower it mainly.
I have been searching the forum for 5 hours. I seems some cool setups on air bags... and flip kits and shackels, and spindles and lowering springs... it is making my head spin. some guys are doing all of these things...

How should I do it? flip kit? remove some leafs?

5 my gas gauge stopped working, is it the sender? would it not work on both tanks? they both show well over full (3 o'clock position) all the time.

Also, what does big ten mean? more rear leaf springs?

well thats all for now.