I have had lots of guys doing this install in NY, NJ, MD, RI and Maine. Recently, a customer in Upstate NY bought a 98 Ram for $800, another in NJ got a Dakota for $1000 and a guy in RI picked up a 97 Ram for $700 then got a Durango for $900.
You can get a Magnum x wind for $200 and Magnum AG for $25 more than LA. A regrind cam is less than LA if you consider you can reuse the roller lifters. We do like EQ heads and if you consider the price of building a set of LA heads its probably cheaper to get EQ's. I feel the draw backs of magnum are far outweighed by the advantages. You are free to build whatever you like and the discussion was OP on West Coast looking at inexpensive small block.
a Chevy guy would never embrace a mid 70's 350 over an LS..