To Crate of not to Crate

So I started looking into winter project already and have some questions maybe the community can help me with. I just finished a complete restore of the stingers and floor of my 86 2001, turned out great and I am really happy. When I had the engine out I painted everything and made Miss Winston look decent. I was really stooked with it until I ran it a few times and discovered that I have a crack in one of my heads. I was less than excited about it. I am not going to lie I was slightly excited that I could now justify a new set of heads. So this got me shopping heads and looking at new vs used and the whole bit. Looks like I could get recon GT40 heads for about 6 bills. That seemed like the best deal. So then I started thinking I better freshen up the bottom end if I am going to have the engine out again rite. So this leads me to the topic...I found that remanufactured.com will sell me a remanufactured GT40 long block for 2190 + a 300 charge for reverse rotation and a 200 kick in the pants for not giving them a GT40 core back. Total of about 2690. Have any of you tried to gather the parts to build a GT40 and how hard where they to find and the approximate cost. I know you can use gt40P heads but by they time I would rebuilt the bottom end of my current motor + the 600 for heads and mis. other stuff I would have to find am I better off with a crate motor with a warrant?
Any help would be great guys/gals!

14 and some change so getting up there.
I have not done bottom end myself but that is the last thing on the list of "done that" stuff mechanically speaking that I would like to do. I would like to do it myselft but I am also conserned that the project could spill into summer again like the stinger project did. I only had about 1 month of use with the boat this summer. My two month deadline was well exceeded. I know I will be working a lot this winter and if I do it myself I would be worried I would not be done by spring time so that is deffinately a factor. Did you do the GT40 thing or back to all stock 86 stuff? Even if I factor 750 plus a new set of heads I would already be up to 1350 give or take. Your 750 was just bottom end stuff rite?

Ok, sure. My biggest problem is needing the heads (or at least one) as my current has a crack. Are you back together at standard 240HP then?
It would be nice if I could find a used GT40 complete to drop in but not likely I will.

Thanks for advice, I suppose I could take it out and tear it down mic everything and then decide.

I hear ya, my wife laughs at me because I don't trust a mechanic to even change my oil. =)   I will probably get it out in the near future and start the tear down. Thanks for the help!

Let me know if you need anything PCM related during your build. Obviously you will want to use some hi-po stuff like rings/pistions/bearings but any service stuff we can help ya with.