Good write up! It's nice to dream of a tight firm performance suspension, and they do have their place. But living in reality is another thing entirely. 😄
It seems to me.. Reviving an older ride with stiff springs, firm shocks, (so easy to get carried away on paper) new bushings etc. can tax the heck out of everything on the rest of the vehicle if you're not careful. I found that out the hard way on a unibody car. The hard way.
Honestly, never thought I'd admit to this but... We use SACHS shocks on our locomotives exclusively. They are nice pieces, and it's come to my attention that's what BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Rolls Royce, and the like use as OEM.