Today, dollar for dollar, is the 318 faster than the 340 ???

If it makes you happy that’s all that counts. Again, as someone else posted 318WR started this thread to make himself look smart, not to have a discussion about a platform and what it really costs do build a street engine. Let’s face it. This stuff is all 40-50 or more years old. The decks aren’t flat. The main line is marginal at best. The bores are straight or round. You can eat up 2k just in machine work for the engine. And that’s not buying a part. I never build an engine where the block doesn’t get at least a surface. I’d rather square deck it. No one on here would buy core heads and not surface them, but they do that with blocks. Cheap and smart aren’t close friends. As I said before, I don’t have an issue with a budget. I have an issue with threads like this where someone puts constraints on a build most reasonable people would never consider. One guy wants to keep his 3k budget but run a roller cam set up. That’s 1200 bucks right there. That shoots a 3k budget right in the wallet. At least let’s be reasonable about the costs.

The roller cam and lifters eat up most of your 1200 dollar estimate alone. Add in the good sprAngs and rockers and then where are we? 2K. Oh don't forget the high dollar timing set "all that" needs too. It's not a cheap hobby. People who try to do it too cheaply, usually pay twice as much.