Is this engine builder nuts?

I know someone who put a stoker in an early A and he felt it ruined the car for him. Just too much torque and HP. No strong relationship that I can think of between intake height and torque; it is typically more about runner sizes. But that is somewhat variable, and the cam and heads really set the main breathing parameters anyway.

You're kinda stuck like with a 273 but to a much lesser degree. I guess if the $$ are an important consideration, then look carefully at your head options for breathing, and keep the CR up on a basic 318 bottom end or 360 if you could sell the 318 parts and find an inexpensive 360 shot block. I would spend $$ on good heads before a roller cam if I had limited $$; a roller cam won't cure poor flowing heads. That all is based simply upon may own experience with good flowing heads, combined with a torque cam, and the results. Good valve work will help you down at the low end.

I'd put the extra $$ into some RHS or Edelbrock headss, even if is was $500-750 more than porting stock heads, because with good heads, you can always pull them off and put them on a 360 or stroked block later. They will always be there for you to get good performance out of them.

Looking over the above, it is still well up into the $3000 range, if you do a lot of the top end yourself. If that is not going to cut it, then..... hmmm. Find a deal on some iron heads and get some decent valve work (multi angle job).