Best budget 360 stroker kit

This will give you an idea what a ported stock head can do:

http://www.hughesengines.com/TechArticles/6408416strokerdynotests.php

I would get the bottom up line honed, ARP main studs, balanced by a good local shop, get the crank and rods looked over and corrected if need be, pistons inspected, and zero deck the block. Then if the budget is tight use those stock iron heads with a good valve job, bowl blending, and gasket matched. The only problem is when those stock heads need new valves, valve springs, new guides, and retainers and locks. Now you are starting to approach the cost of new heads. Or just go with Eddy heads to start with, get the shop to go over the valve job, check out valve guide clearance, and get them touched up a little. My local shop quoted me $250 to prep a pair of Eddy heads like described above. Then later you can pull the heads and have them ported.

I run Stage 2 ported Edelbrocks by Shady Dell Speed, retrofit roller cam, MP bronze drive gear, Comp Cams Pro Magnum roller rockers, Hughes hold down kit, upgraded valve springs, 10 degree retainers and lock, and that all added up to around $4,000 which was significantly more then the short block costs. So unless you have a big budget build a good short block and that will leave you the option to upgrade the top end later.