stroking my 340 to a 4--

You should build the rest of the drivetrain first, and build it to handle more power than you ever plan on throwing at it. Shop around. I found a stout 904 race transmission (manual shift, RVB) for $400 from a guy who started a project he changed directions on. I paid $200 or $250 for the Turbo Action 3500 converter from a guy who needed a higher stall...I think $200 for the drive shaft, and $2300 for a fresh Dana drum to drum shortened to A-body length with the mounts moved in for a spring relocation. Found some nice Centerline Warriors with tires for $600 (changed the rear tires out for M/T Drag Radials). All that was done before my engine. My car already had disc front brakes, so that wasn't an expense for me. It's all held up for about 75 1/8 mile passes and lifts the front 4-6".

Once that's all done, either get a kit for the engine, or have Brian at IMM do it. It really sucks to put a bunch of time and money into an engine and then have something go wrong during or after break-in. If you get it done by Brian (or another reputable builder), and broke in and tuned on the dyno, it's pretty much just a drop in and go deal...well worth it.