Engine rebuild - advice wanted

[dcdoug]

I was at VIR at SVT Superfest last weekend with the track car (TrackRat) I share with a friend. My first time at VIR and a great weekend.....right up until TrackRat ate it's crank.

The engine was built in 2000 and has probably seen 8,000 track miles since then, so we were thinking we'd rebuild this winter anyway. Guess it will be sooner than that.

Sooooo......here is what's in there now.

Engine Details RWHP/TQ 360/360 (dynoed recently):

From the builder in 2000 (but not verified as we've only owned it for a few years, although we also know the previous owner):

Built by Terry Iselin Racing Engines
302 with main girdle
Probe Pistons, neg 3cc dome
10.45:1 compression ratio
Childs & Albert rings, z depth (zero gap), 3/16 second ring
Probe tool steel wrist pins, .125 wall, .927” x 2.500”
Eagle 4340 steel crank, 3.400” stroke
2.100” rod journals (Chevy size)
ACL bearings
Eagle 4340 connecting rods, 5.4”
TFS twisted wedge heads, 63cc, flowed 260cfm @.500 lift intake, 167cfm @.500 lift exhaust; 2.02” intake valve, 1.600” exhaust valve
Crower valve springs #68390-3
Lunati cam, 224/232 duration, .568/.578 lift, 112 centerline, installed at 108
Edelbrock manifold
70MM throttle body
MAF, K&N air filter
WMS programmable EFI computer system
MSD 6a ignition, Ford Racing high output coil
Griffin radiator with integral oil cooler
Canton road race oil pan
HPM large tube headers with X pipe

Criteria:
Track only application
Want a 302 based block so existing equipment bolts up easily
Durable
Needs to run on 93 octane
At least the same HP/TQ, more is better....
Willing to reuse existing equipment
Quality over budget, but still paying attention to the budget (not totally defined yet)

Ideas we have been kicking around:
-Buy a short block from Ford Racing and reuse existing components
-Sell our existing top end and buy/build a complete engine
-Carb vs EFT?
-Send our top end to a builder and get his evaluation of matching that to a strong bottom end
-Buying a racing crate motor
-Using a builder for all part of the above (blykins, you paying attention?) - note: this is my preferred course of action, although I have a partner in this track car and it's not 100% my decision.....

Anyway, opinions welcome!