Restoration woes

You cannot have been looking very hard for a complete engine. There are more than a couple that have been mentioned in various posts here. Before you drop coin on the 318, find a 273 that runs within driving distance and buy that. They ARE around.
As they say, timing is everything. Each time I have checked, there have been none - at least none nearby enough to go and inspect before buying. As far as any posted on this site, that it true. I have read posts back 60 pages and found a few. Even found some in the for sale section. But none, "right here, right now." I should have been looking in all the years the car has been none operational. If I'd had the time, I would have gotten another 273 when I bought the 318 that's in the car now but I had to get it on the road in two weeks for a cross country drive. Yes, timing is everything.