Wagonboy -
I've been asking myself those same questions. I've somewhat come to the decision to build the 327 for now to run in O/SA, only because the engine in the 66 Bel Air 6-passenger wagon I bought had a mixture of correct and incorrect parts for the bigger engine, and this is my first small-block in about 30 years. I also thought that the 283 might be more of a "challenge" to get dialed-in right from the start. The stick option sounds intriguing too! Nothing quite like "two-tons 'o fun!"
Good luck and I hope to see you out there this summer!
Lew