Here's what I would do. Go buy a rebuildable 250 and have these done to it. Block work:
.040 over bore
307 V8 flat top pistons
Comp Cams Ultra Pro Magnum 268 duration 219 @ .050 .486 lift on a 110 lobe center.
Have the block zero decked and everything balanced.
Head work:
Lump ports
1.94 intake valves and 1.60 exhaust valves.
Might shave the head to.
Roller rockers and a slightly bigger set of valve springs...all this should add up to 300 horse and 280 torque with a good Holley or edelbrock and headers. Keeping the 6 is very rewarding and a fun journey...there's always the option of a turbo to. That 6 and a good tremic 5 speed will be sweet.
I concur, since TJ basically described my 250 to a T, except I have 1.84 intake and 1.60 exhaust valves. Having a 550hp small-block AND now a newly running 275ish hp inline 6, I can say that the small-block is badass and sounds great, and it got my Camaro knocking on the 10 second range on pump gas and in street trim. However, after getting my 250 running recently, and hearing that thing idle and rev, it's going to be a peppy little thing too, and should have a unique sound that's going to have the regular V8 crowd raise a brow when I'm flogging it. It's all about what you really want, cheaper but sufficient V8 power, or the slightly more expensive hopped up inliner that's a little less powerful than the V8, but one that's gonna be different than most everything else at the local cruise in.
