Making power out of the 318
I really like that to but that 5.9 mag is really growing on me the more i keep reading the their forms the more i am leaning toward it
This is what I was talking about originally. You won't listen to seasoned, experienced people, yet, you said you would. You just "gotta have" 400 plus horsepower and I will "just bet" that at 15, you've never been in anything with an honest 400HP.
Now, before I go further, let me say, I'm not saying any of this in disrespect or trying to run you down, so lets get that outta the way now. I'm saying all of this as a fellow car guy that's been doing this since 1974, so I have a tad of experience. So don't get your panties in a wad and go off half cocked thinking I'm insulting you. I'm not.
Go ahead and get the 5.9 if you must, but I think as your first project it's a mistake especially since you already HAVE a 318. You're money ahead of the game RIGHT THERE. What will happen is, you will spend "whatever" part of your 3K budget on a whole nuther motor. Even the Magnum engines are getting old now and chances are slim you'll get one with low enough mileage that it won't take probably HALF your budget.
Then, even to reach 400HP with a magnum, you going to have to have "some kind" of cylinder head porting. You've already said your knowledge is limited, so that will cost another chunk of your 3K. 400HP will likely need 2.02 and 1.60 valves. Valves is another chunk. Gone. Valve guides sloppy? There's some gone. Heads will likely need milling to get them flat again. There's some gone. There's your budget pretty m uch down the toilet and we've not even gotten to intake, carburetor, ignition system, headers and on and on.
If you would just listen to common sense and experience, you'd get something running pretty quickly that would be respectable and keep your fire lit to collect parts as you go for build #2. As it is now, you're going to run out of budget. The project will stall and you'll lose interest and there it will sit. All these guys on here are spending money that isn't theirs with their recommendations. You need to think about that.