Today, dollar for dollar, is the 318 faster than the 340 ???

We are getting nowhere. So you are saying that on a build the budget is so tight another 2 or 3k will run them out of the hobby? That’s unrealistic. Let the car sit a year and save some money. It’s called delayed gratification. I call it 16 year old thinking. Get it done, cut corners and make it run, rather than consider it an investment.
you said in another post that your engine would cost 10,000 to build and another 5,000 for even better parts,...i can build a engine i can be happy with for less than 3 grand and itll last a long while too...wont be no race car but wont be a turd ether!