The problem that I see is that he's trying to run on pump gas and keep the compression to 9.5:1, this isn't going to be a race engine, but more street and a DD. And the type of fuel that he'll have to use and with the budget of a youngster, the KB107's would be out. If he square decks the engine and uses the thinner gaskets and runs the small chamber heads like the 318's that he has then he should be in the range of 9.5 or better. He's not wanting to turn this engine over 5500 or 6000 rpms. And then only a couple of times a year at a race track, most of his driving will be 4000 rpm's or less most of the time.
He needs to listen to a good machinist that know whats going on with mopars, and his wallet. As it's fine for all of us to say what we would do but were not the one's thats having to spend the money or on his budget. Only he knows this.
I agree that he's young and is learning and we don't want him to make any mistakes, and planning a engine takes time and some changes to work out to achieve the out come that he wants.
