You are right that there is definitely more than one way to skin a cat.
I was interested in this build just for ***** and giggles when they stated only factory parts in the beginning. An everyman low buck type build.
Now though as
@Rat Bastid mentioned it has turned into an exercise of mental masturbation with the stroker crank high dollar head porting etc.
Bucks down approach in my mind would be a 318 magnum with block cut to zero deck the stock pistons or a set of KB's, reground cam, stock magnum heads with a good valve job and minor cleaunup of the bowls, and a china gap or redrill the heads to take a used LA intake. Add a cheap set of headers and call it a day.
Not claiming to be an expert on anything, but I do know that for a supposed budget build their proposed build has gone off the rails.
I do like seeing someone making the best of what they have though. I like what
@318willrun does with his stuff as much as I like the high hp builds. He does a lot with a little. Kind of the way that most of us started. Documenting it for others can be a big help to those just getting started. Stuff like that may have saved the 18 year old me the trouble of trying a torker intake on an otherwise stock 318. :)