mick53,
I wouldn't worry too much about folks making fun of you for trying to do this. This is a dream project for many of us which we could never afford to carry through to completion. It seems that you have the desire and wherewithal to get this done.
Panic and Twisted6 got you on the right track with the camshaft. Nothing that can't be fixed with enough $$$ thrown at it. The lifter box is just a matter of having the fabricator make something that will seal it up and clear everything. Not easy, but doable.
For the rocker arms, I would want to have a Falconer piece or pieces to use for mock-up. Much easier to visualize what needs to be done if you can see where the existing parts fall short.
While an overhead cam might circumvent some of the challenges of the pushrod/rocker arm configuration, it presents problems of it's own. Since the rpm of this motor is going to be limited by piston speed, most of the advantages of an OHC are lost.
I'm along for this ride.
CARRY ON!
