RE: Trainer or SIM ??
Since you will have learn on a buddy-box anyway, and if you have sim time flying a P-51, why not try to find an instructor who will give you buddy-box time flying your P-51 model?
We will let anyone including beginners fly our P-51, Fokker Bipe, and many other aircraft types in our club, even though we don't use a buddy-boz for training.
Nascarjoe