Welcome Rich (and thanks for the plug

)
I can only vouch for the 2.8, as this is my daily/only transport.
Personally, I like the older style dash, as it is the ideal place for the coffee mug, spare pens and things that radio ops like to have around us - and is a reasonable place to mount the radio.
Have a browse through the engine specific section to get a feel for the mechanical reliability of the different versions, then perhaps have a browse through this sites
For Sale section.
Feel free to pop over and kick some tyres if you see me on an event.
Lawrence ("Streetly 1")