[chiphead]

If the 350 didnt have to run more than a year or two, I'd do a bare-bones rering.

Put heads in shop. Have them cleaned and surfaced. Only replace what absolutely needs changing. Tell machinst to keep expense under $250. Believe it or not, that's hard to do. Head work can get obcenely expensive.

Have crank turned. Buy stock rebuilder quality FM bearings.
Use the $100 gasket set.
Have the block magged and baked clean. Install new cam bearings, freeze plugs. If the current pistons and bore are in halfway decent shape, re-use them. Have cylinders honed and fit new speedpro rings.

Install new oil pump, and pump driveshaft. Install Summit 2801 cam kit and timing chain. Clean and reuse stock pushrods and rocker arms. Buy a new balancer and water pump. Clean valley and oil pans and re-use them.

Clean up the performer. Find a carb and put a kit in it. Find an HEI and drop it in. Find a cheap chrome aircleaner and slap it on. Slap on some stock manifolds, stock accessories and go driving.

I usually tell people here to spend a lot on builds, for power and longevity. But I see no reason to spend a lot on a 350 that just has to go down the road for a few years. So what if it puffs a little smoke when you start it, and has a little piston slap. The SOB will run for years like that. Vola, $1,000 Re-ring job.

good luck

chip