There is a guy in Canada who is building a 1952 Chevrolet Suburban using all-wheel-drive componests from Chevy S-10 and Astro.

http://www.commerce.usask.ca/staff/hipkin/burb/

His story will give you an idea how one guy has approached that kind of project with an old truck. I'm doing a suburban also, so I've been following his project. I'm NOT doing the all-wheel-drive thing.