Would i buy one..no,are they better then having one built..no way,i know exactely what went into my engine and who did the work,invest your money wisely and find a good shop to build you one
You talk about not trusting a crate motor because you don't know who built it yet you say find a shop and have someone build it for you. It is the same thing. Finding a "good" shop is a crap shoot too and no difference than buying a "crate" motor. Sure I have a shop machine my motors and was a crap shoot finding the right one at first but I can double check the machining before assembly to make sure they are "good". Now if you know the person that built your motor personally then that is a different animal.