Ed,

I was only suggesting a crate if everything in your motor was totally trashed. I had that impression since you indicated you wanted to replace most of the major components of your motor. Generally things like cranks and rods can be re-used after some clean-up machining.

I am a firm believer in using proven combinations. In my opinion the best people to ask about those are companies like Edelbrock or CompCams that have spent many hours of Dyno and engine building time to develop combinations that work well together and live. My advice to you is to contact a couple of those companies and tell them what you have and how you plan to use it. Be very honest with them about your budget, timeframe and planned use of the car. They can make suggestions for pistons. cam, ignition etc that will work for you. They are in much better position to make recommendations than most of us are.

Good luck with your project, keep us posted and how about some pictures of your ride?

Pat