Misfire at cruise, popping/afterfire at 3000RPM

Believe it or not, I'm actually relieved for those exact reasons. Plus, I'll be able to get the engine bay nice and clean, maybe even paint while it's empty. I've washed down the engine area at least 6 or 7 times since I got it, but the fine New Mexico sand just keeps on appearing. It'll be much easier to replace my old headers, I can paint the block, I'll know for sure that all the gaskets/seals are fresh and good, I'm pretty sure the transmission needs new clutch packs, the list goes on. Heck, I just picked up a 4 speed for this car, so why not just do the swap now??

What I am NOT relieved about is the time and money aspect. I was really hoping to be able to focus on other things that have been put on the back burner, but that's okay. I am also keeping in mind that the cam may not be the only issue that was going on here. I'm still anticipating possibly some ignition and/or fueling quirks. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.