I've seen A LOT of posts about making HP with a 318-So why is it so ???

But now 5.9 magnums are an average of 350 bucks running. You cant hop up a 318 to match it for that money.

The down side is, you can be pretty sure the factory heads will be cracked........... and from what I understand the “good” performance enhancing EQ heads aren’t available anymore.
I’m not hearing great things about the Chinese made Magnum replacement heads, and I don’t think the MAX heads are currently available either.
So, there are no “cheap” head upgrades to replace those cracked factory pieces that I’m aware of.

The short blocks are usually in good shape from what I hear, so converting to LA heads with pushrod oiling might be a good option if that type of top end is within the budget.