What you are describing is just about exactly what I already have. A few years back, I needed a vehicle for when I moved to LA for grad school, and what you describe is exactly what I had in mind. I ended up with an '88, and promptly put some 31" BFG ATs on it. Works great as a daily driver around LA, but I can still have fun with it doing mild wheelin' by the river back home. It is dead reliable (202,000 miles), relatively easy on gas, and I can haul just about anything I need to. My only complaint is that it is a bit underpowered which was to be expected. When I get another daily driver (read: car) I will be upping the antie, and then jumping into the gearing/lift, etc needed for bigger meats. I wouldn't hesitate to make the same choice again, and from research have found that it almost costs as much to make a solid axle truck perform as it does to perform a SAS and build an IFS rig. Good luck in your search.
Lates,
Connor
