The 302 is a great truck engine and can be made better. A problem you may have on most of these sites is the main focus in on Hot Rod/race engines. They are different from truck engines. The difference would be in the head and the cam. You will know by the time you get home if you want to keep the 302. I'm sure there is a better transmission for this rig. Adapting it to the GMC might be a whole other project. I'm not sure.
Another site to check is Stovebolt lots of truck stuff there. Chevy mostly but quite a bit on GMC.
STOVEBOLT I love the CARS connection. I hope you don't have to deal with the snooty RV Parks with their new only rules, no class and no classics.
My gut says that I'm going to want something more modern for the engine and trans and that the 302 will hopefully go to someone's awesome hotrod project. Like you said, I may be in love with the thing as is by the time we get here but if we're going to take it on a few of the trips we have planned, sourcing parts for such a vintage engine on the road is really not something that sounds fun...
My biggest concern right now is safely (for me and the engine/trans) driving it home so we can get started. I'd hate to kill the 302 and get stranded though I do gather they're pretty stout.
The Cars movies thing cracks me up, I never even saw the similarities.
Funny story, my wife and I spent the past 9 months in our 1996 Class A driving across the country and looking for our new home which we have found. As far as the age thing is concerned it seemed like the policies about "the 10 year rule" (which we didn't meet either) would feel the same about a "50 or 60 year rule" haha...
For the most part that rule seemed to be either set in stone, or dependent on pictures showing that the RV was in good repair and well maintained.
I'm genuinely excited to book our first trip and when the person on the phone asks about make and model getting to say: "um... yes, it's a 1964 Pickwick Traveliner, Class A" and enjoying that few seconds of silence while they try and figure out what that is...
