Patrick ... thanks for the sage advice of choosing wisely, that is crux of the question and as you state, there are a lot of variables. I have the ERA 289 FIA manual and have been poring over the various tables of transmissions & differentials for speeds in different gears and RPMs. The only thing I can't calculate is the 'feel' part of the equation, hence this thread.
One interesting part for me, is all of the choices when putting together a detailed build list ... no wonder these cars are so different! I guess that's part of the fun.
Also ... Thanks again to all ... for the posts above.
- Tim