Hmmm, what to do with my truck...

About a year after I got my Duster, I pulled the tired 318 with only 117k on it, put replacement '302' casting heads, 256/262 Voodoo cam, Performer intake, AFB carb etc. and put it back in the car.

With the 2.76 gears it was still a turd off the line but pulled decently above 2500 RPM. What I soon got though was LOTS of blue smoke, I'm talking a constant trail following me down the road and it steadily losing power until I parked it and began building a 360 to swap in. It was a learning experience for me as it was my first time doing anything like that with a car but looking back it was kind of a waste, of money at least anyway... Ideally I should have just kept the 318 in the car the way it was and built the 360 on the side and still have a running/driving car. The rings were shot and I didn't realize it from the pretty big ridge on the cylinders.

I think a good running used Magnum converted to a carb might be the cheapest and easiest way to keep it going for a long time. Get the heads redone or good aftermarket iron RHS/EQ, factory heads are almost guaranteed to have cracks and while you're at it maybe swap/regrind the cam but the bottom end should be in great shape, the cylinders don't wear from fuel wash like the old carb'd engines because of the EFI. Add electric fuel pump (or swap to cam with mech. fuel pump eccentric) and it's basically like swapping in another LA.