The color you talk about sounds like a nice shade. This thing should be a great eye catcher and business promoter! With the power youll get out of the diesel, you shouldnt have to gear it all that slow, plus you talked about having a transmission for the gear selection. just a suggestion, but you could find yourself a Peerless 820 transaxle, put a live axle in it, and use it as a transmission/transfercase for you 4wd setup.
-Phil