expert help needed (my first post)

Agree 1000%. Well said Geof.
You forgot to mention the $1500 for a rear end that can actually handle a big block 4 speed. And the driveshaft to fit to make it work. The thing about this is, he’s 17, and not yet capable of doing the kind of work it takes to successfully duplicate a big block A body Cuda. Not a knock to his skill set, but to get the price he needs after spending the money just to have the parts to do it right, he also has to do a very accurate job to reach that price range. A hack job big block transplant will not increase the value of this car, when he can save $1000’s by just using the parts he has and spending as little as possible. That’s what flippers do. He’s torn between what he wants and what the car needs to be flipped. Kinda like buying a house to flip, and buying all the stuff necessary to do the flip, but all in your taste. You have to put aside your taste and do what the flip needs, not what you want.