it's like some people don't even do the assigned reading before showing up to class...
he clearly doesn't want to do the work. he also doesn't have the facilities to pull the motor as he stated in the first post.
to your point of scooping up a used motor? sure, that's always a viable route but that comes with a lot of risk. you take all that time: tracking one down, hammering out a deal, going to get it, cleaning it up, doing whatever menial replace/repair work, installing it and then... something's booty. i dunno, it's got bad valve guides or rod knock or a soft hole, whatever, so now you're *** out on all that time, money and effort.
when you could've put that into a known entity.
i don't know what defines a "complete disaster" or what machine shop rates are where you are, but that sounds dubious to me on both fronts.
anyway, the guy is just looking for the easiest way forward for an economical refresh that is drama free and doesn't lay up his car because the engine is in machine shop jail for months and months.