Getting a 340 in those days made absolutely perfect sense, even if you paid 300.... have we reached the time in our Mopar world where even on a 3k budget is the 318 the faster engine ?
I am having a 422" 340 built by IMM and just had a 328" screwed together for my D100. I would have loved to do my own 318 but I have no enclosed shop space and Momma won't let me do it in the kitchen.
I guess you could say I am just an LA guy.
Here's the deal, I bought the 340 for $300 and it needed a sleeve. A few hundred. If you aren't afraid of a .040+ 340 block then you can get into the 340 game for not a whole lot more than a 318. Yes, prices on standard bore 340's are stupid but you are comparing the low side of 318 prices (free?) and the high side of 340 block prices (standard bore blocks?) to get the answers YOU want.
And your $3000 budget? C'mon man. If you got a $3000 budget you better be buying a damn gasket set, rings, bearings, Summit cam, and freshening that sucker up. It's 2021 ol' son. You aint getting very far on ANYTHING with $3000.