So Frustrated!

to be honest... pick up a salvage yard engine with ~50k miles or whatever. the lower the better, 100k is probably needing a rebuild.

you might get out of there with a usable engine for a couple hundred bucks. tell the salvage guys you are in a jam and explained what happened. they might be easy and willing to help you out.

grab a 360 or 5.9 magnum, preferably something carbed. if not carbed then you will need to either go efi or retrofit a carb. magnums require a bit more retrofitting. but WELL under the $2200 to rebuild that 318. a 360 is an easier swap, but they might be a little more difficult to find (i think they switched to magnums around '93)

p.s. if you find a 1980 car or something with engine & autotrans still attached it would be striking gold for you if your car is currently auto

there are many threads here for the swap:
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=141676
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=116388

drop it in and you should be able to run with it. make sure you get one with a balancer on the front because they are externally balanced engines, so the balancer/torque converter/cast crank have differences from the neutral pieces from an internally balanced small block. so if you get one at a salvage yard and it's 73&up you definitely need the harmonic balancer but just ask mention it to the people there they will set you up.

then you can scrap the 318 (SAVE THE CRANK IF IT'S FORGED) and build another engine at your leisure. forged crank is nice if you build a stock stroke 318/340 later down the line. or if someone here is looking for one.