need advice on drop spindles and wheelbase 59 stepside

I am starting to build my chassis for my 59 short stepside, I want it as low as I can go without bags, The plan is to mustang 2 the front with coilovers or airide and 4 link the rear w/ coilovers or airide on a stock full boxed frame, I want to run a 245/45-18 on the front 295/45-20 on the rear, my question is should I run a stock or droped spindle, and I have seen some talk about the wheelbase the front tires to far back, what wheelbase should I run to make this ride bada**, thanks for any help.  

Now the folks that supply these pinto suspention kits will tell you to line up with the stock axle location, it is however my experience [on the exact same truck] if you lower the front end 4" or more it will look better to centerline the suspention about a half inch forward of its original location.
that is to say as you drop the front the wheels tend go go 'back' and 'up' into the wheelwell.
You'll get some bumpsteer with those dropped spindles but you'll prolly do that anyways.
275/50s worked best on my 17+8" rear wheels.
In the old days they'd 'Z' the front frame. [move the entire crossmember up]Still the best way to go. The motor tends to fill the underhood cavity a little better this way, looking more prominent and in your face, and no need for dropped spindles or cut coils.
if you do the 'z'ing, box everything in bigtime.
Offset front rims will help compensate for the fact a pinto/'mustang2' track width is two inches less wide than it needs to be.
It would be best to inquire about 'stretched' A arms and rack@pinion , thou.
It's a lot of money to make a pinto suspention work well under a half ton truck.  

Thanks for the advice, with what your telling me and what I have read lately is that the stang2 ft.end has some drawbacks, I was looking at buying a heidt's front, is there anything better out there for around $2000.00, I want to be safe as Im installing bigblock w/ 600-700 hp and will one day give this truck to my son he's only 2 now so gives me sometime to play. and are you sure only a 1/2 in. on the wheelbase I was guessing 2in. Thanks  

If you want something that can handle a ton up hp go with a front end from a gen 1 or 2 camaro. Just need to add new drop spindles to get the desired lowering.  

For my money I like the Industrial Chassis Dodge Dakota Kit. I probably don't have $1100 in the whole thing. I purchased the a-arms, spindles, rack&pinion, and larger-than-pinto brake rotors [11"]from my friendy auto recycler for $200.00.
It has a better roll center and the proper track width.
The best part is it's a truck suspention under a truck, both the original truck and the donor weigh & measure similar.
Downside, if it is one, is I'm not aware of any tubular a arms and such custom components for this swap. Upside for me is it doesn't need them.

I'd go with a corvette kit, if money were no object, but hey thats a little over $2000. for shure, and I really don't understand where these people find all these corvette components laying around. Seems to me a junk vette should be worth as much or more than a junk truck!

I always mock up a project. 2" + wheelbase looks to much to me, but I reckon as much as 1" would be good. Mock yer truck up by setting the desired stance on blocks and placing the wheels in the wheelwells & see what you think!  

Thanks for all the advise guys I will do more research  

Your welcome, let us know when you move onto the next step.