Regarding the tuning. I'd like to learn enough to be able to assemble the system (correctly), load a base map, and get it to run well enough to allow someone else to tune it from there. Ideally this will eliminate any major design problems or other time consuming functions for the tuner. But frankly I'm not that interested in learning how to tune it myself. Just too many other things to do in life. That's why I hope to get a system that is as "hands-off" as possible. By that I mean it won't require constant tuning, tweaking, correcting, etc. after it is set up. The thought is, by including some of the safe guards mentioned for the ECU (knock, O2, auto tune, etc), that is a realistic goal.
As I mentioned before, I'm trying to keep the budget fairly low...the car just isn't valued anything near what this will cost already and I've done enough project builds in my life to know it isn't worth spending a ton of money on vehicles with no real value.
I would still think MS is the easier softer way for what you want.
I am leaning more in that direction. Mainly due to the wider range of established applications, hoping to find some existing info on how to correctly design the system and get a reasonable base map to start with. The down side is it seems to require the most knowledge to build a system with MS (compared to the others) and as noted above I am trying to keep it fairly straight forward in that regard. As much as I admire the systems developed by the major auto manufacturers (Volvo, Saab, etc), trying to convert one of those systems isn't a good plan for me.
I greatly appreciate any/all input here, you guys are helping me a lot, thanks....please continue to offer your thoughts.