The ergonomics are interesting. The inverted shifter is slick.
Is the new hole in the firewall higher than the old one? Do you think a 4-bar linkage would be stouter than the extension?
For sake of argument, suppose I wanted a stance more like the R&C Dream Truck?
http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Rod_%26_Custom_Magazine%E2%80%99s_ Dream_Truck
What is the height of the Prius cowl relative to the Chevy cowl? How much of the Prius dashboard remains?
I say 'for sake of argument' because I have in mind a 1958 GMC COE.
Edit: It's hard to keep up.
There was a whole 6th page!
This answers the question about the cowl/cowl relationship. For the gas tank, could you rotate the whole thing 180° and run that complex filler subsystem up the inside corner of the cab?
I'd take the hood sides off and put lighting in the inside of the hood.