If you're gonna use the stock rods, get a truck block they have more meat near the head of the rod bolts. You can tell them by looking ... the rod bolt heads are football shaped instead of round.
Don't know about where you're at but here where i am we have pick-a-part wrecking yards where you tear the parts out yourself and i only paid 55 bucks for my 351 short block, and it was uncut, standard bore and standard crank .. The standard motors are pretty easy to pick out because they are usually still stock color and don't look to new for the vehicle they're in.
Before you spend a bunch of money on machine work have it sonic checked ! Otherwise you can end up with a junk block that you've spent a bunch of money on and you won't know it until you crack a cylinder wall, or shove a piston through one.
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