There is a place, time, and a reason for high dollar builds... of 8k - 20k. For the purpose of this thread, 3k is a generous budget. A re-ring kit with new gaskets and fresh heads can be a reliable engine for years and years and offer performance. Nobody gonna tell me different, been running this way for about 35 yrs. Again, 6 years of beating on a 500 - now 750 dollar with dual quad 318 and 5 years of beating on a "now 1450" with aluminum heads 360.
