Maybe I can chime in here. I'm building a 340, you're building a 360. I have a 318 to rob parts from, so do you. I'm in this thing over $2,000 already and initially I thought Id be in it for a lot less.. Maybe your friend will cut you a deal on machine work but a business is a business and he's got to keep the doors open. There are two machine shops around here that I know of and one will do $1,100 for machine work and parts for a complete engine build. Boring the block, honing it, valve job, all that stuff. Will it get balanced? No. Line hone? Nah. How good is the valve job? Not very. The other machine shop, the one I went to, does better work and it costs more. My block is already done but I sent them my cylinder heads, crank, rods, Pistons, balancer and flywheel. Machine work and parts (rings, bearings, ARP bolts) came up to $1,250 and I know everything is done right and will last a long time. That leaves $750 left before the $2,000 mark. Well the flywheel, balancer, and rods were $300. Down to $450 now. Cam & lifters were $200, all my gaskets were about $100. Down from $2,000 to $150. I still haven't figured in the cost of a machined block, Pistons, fluids, or any of the other little things that i bought. Cheap machine work + cheap parts = cheap engine. I say spend the extra money right now to save yourself from having headaches down the road. So can you build and upgrade an engine for under $2k? Sure. Will it be bulletproof and last a long time? Probably not. Just my $.02