I have personally done without the daily eat out lunches and breakfasts for many years in a effort to have a little more cash to waste on my old junk. My turbo is off of an old Detroit, my heads are old iron heads that a friend had, the crankshaft is an old Corvette piece, the block I pulled from a 1970 C-10. The roller rockers came from a friend that changed to a high dollar Jesel setup. The only new parts that went into my junk were the rods, pistons, camshaft, lifters, valve springs, and pushrods.
I have always had to budget my money to have any to spend on the Malibu. Luckily I have a VERY good wife that puts up with the stupidity, and doesn't give me any grief to speak of about it. I don't want you guys to come off thinking that I am one of the people that always has to have the newest best stuff, because that is the right opposite of the truth.
I am merely making a point that with a very small price difference you can get a proven, quality item.