About the pistons, I was just curious how much it would cost to get a decent set of "good" pistons and rods over there. By good I mean non-stock, high performance type of pistons. Say Keith Black like I've got.
Keep in mind that the aftermarket rods do not have oil squirt holes to help oil the bores. The manufacturers claim that they are not necessary.
Stock connecting rods have oil squirt holes. You can have new rod bolts installed which will also require them to recondition the crank bore on the rod as the new bolts may not allow the rod and cap to align correctly after being replaced. It costs a little more than buying a set of aftermarket rods, but for about $40 if you like the extra oiling for the bores from the squirt holes it's worth it.
Keep in mind that you may also have to get the engine rebalanced to compensate for differences in weight from the stock parts.