[D13]

The single complaint my 6'6", 300# father had about his 1981 GMC with a straight six and 3OTT (ie a light as you can get truck) was that the manual steering with the stock wheel was very high effort. I actually used to have to have the seat belt cinched down tight to keep me in the seat to turn the wheels sitting still on concrete.

I strongly beg to to reconsider. On the other hand your wife will drive the truck once in a concrete parking lot and then will never do it again.

I have manual steering in the truck I'm looking at drag racing. All the DD's will / do be power, and I'm a man who likes my trucks with no frills (5 squares, exactly 1 set power doors...)