cool, it's your car and far be it from me to tell you what's best for you. However, since you started out asking for thoughts here's some on the suspension thing.

Usually a highboy with independent front is thought of as "hi tech" or "smoothie" style. With all that hardware hangin' out in plain view you would be best served by something that has a "clean" look. Take a look at a Heidt's "Super Ride" or a Kugel front suspension. Both use a coilover design with a modest, but adequate sized upright for the coilover attachment. That would be the "elegant" look. The one thing you've got working against that whole image is the body being channeled over a Ford frame. It doesn't play into the "smoothie" appearance. Too many changes in visual plane, shadows, that kind of thing.

Now if you're going to keep the car for yourself the rest of your life, anything goes. And this is where we get into that "dare to be different" ...........................let's say discussion. Different is great. That's part of the rodding thing, creativity. But so is artistry. Different for the sake of different will often times yield ugly. And most people aren't attracted to ugly. When you go to sell the car, if that's where you'll be some day (which is about 95+% of the time), you'll get punished price wise, if there's anyone at all that is interested. And I'm not advocating cookie cutter either. Just consistency in style or theme.

With the raw material you have there a "vintage" theme would be both easier, and more appealing to a broader range of rod enthusiasts. Beam or tube axles (to me a straight axle is just that, straight, usually tube, not with the "S" bends at the ends), can be made to drive, ride, and handle reasonably well. It takes a good mix of steering geometry, panhard bar, spring and shock. And they play to the vintage theme.

No slam intended here, but below is an example of different for the sake of different. But to my eye, and I would guess to most, there's not much artistry here either. This car sold a few months ago for far less than the probable cost of parts and materials. Just some thoughts.