As for tires...your dead on. Go with a 29" tall if possible. Coker makes a ribbed wall firestone in a multitude of sizes. The picture attached is only 27" tall. They look exactly like the Stahl brand front racing tires from back in the day. I'm sure you could even make a stencil to make them look like Stahl's if you wanted. Great thread. I love Cragars, mech tachs, hood scoops, and tunnel rams. What's better on a hot rod?