Nice LJR! I was in a similar position as you last year debating on direction to go and in what order. I decided to bite the bullet and replace the suspension all at once instead of piecing things together. I went with one of the Currie kits.
They provide you with springs, control arms, track bar, relocation bracket, and links. They are steep in price but you can find deals if you look around. My ride actually improved vs my worn out bushings. (looked similar to yours) I have no regrets and feel good about doing it once and using quality parts.
As far as your 6 speed goes. I had some trouble with reverse at first but after changing my routine I've never had problems. After starting it take your foot off the clutch in neutral. Wait a bit. Push the clutch in and hold it down for a bit in neutral (maybe 5 seconds) then go into reverse. If you feel like the shifter did not engage all the way into reverse come back to neutral and release the clutch. Push the clutch in again and wait a little longer then try again. Mine seems to not like being rushed into reverse.
