Rebuilding engine- Need advice (and to vent)

Thank you all for the compliments. It sounds like pulling the motor is the best way to do it all right.

From a value point of view, would it detract from the car's value if I put one of the Street Demon 1904 carbs on it (http://www.summitracing.com/parts/dem-1904/overview/)? Rebuilding the original carb was quoted ~$250 by a member here who seems to be the Thermoquad Guru. However, that still uses the original emissions-based carburetor with the original fuel bowl, which is prone to cracking/leaking. For $150 more, I could get the all new carb which I have been reading some good reviews on. Also, I think a car that starts up and drives reliably holds more value than one that doesn't. But I'm not sure where to go with this one.

I also have a terrible belt squeal that I can't seem to get rid of... The car has four belts to run the alternator, powersteering, waterpump, and A/C. I was thinking of getting one of those serpentine belt conversion kits, but I feel like this actually will detract from the value of the car. They also only come in chrome, and I don't like too much chrome on a factory engine. Just my personal feelings.