I hear ya. Saw a super sweet Chevy Cevelle SS today at teh icecream shack. Had a sick sounding motor with a healthy cam.
I have visions of hot roding my '00 S-10 Blazer. Pulling the 4.3L6 and dropping in an aluminum V8 from a Vette, it'll bolt up to my tranny, I need to move the firewall a tad, or install a 2" body lift. Push the radiator forward 3" and install an electric cooling fan, eliminating the belt driven fan.
Then swapping the rear axle out for a custom narrowed Dana 60, removing the fron IFS and sliding under a Custom narroed High pinion Dana 60 coil springs.
Moving the spare tire from under the rear end and hanging it off a custom tire carrier mounted to a custom rear bumper. Removing the front bumper and installing a custom bumper, then custom rock sliders connecting both front and rear bumpers. This should give me a 3"-4" platform all the way around the truck in case I get stuck in the muck.
Where the spare tire used to go I would make a custom box to hold spare parts/tools, accessed via the floor int eh bed of the cab.
Mounting on-board air compressor under the rear pasengers foot board, and finally an on-board welder for trail repairs.
Then I think of all the money spent on those upgrades, and think. ****, that would be one sweet boat.