To the OP, your big advantage is a wealth of knowledge right here at your fingertips. Most of us started playing with engines long before the Internet, and sage advice could be hard to come by. I got sucked in by sexy horsepower numbers and wound up with too much carb, too much cam, and not enough compression or gear. Hung a $49 set of Blackjack headers on it because, well, headers. Hated it. Saved some money and put some dialed-back parts on it, and had a much more enjoyable car. Start slow. Use what you've got, and gain experience along the way.