I agree with PaleRider. If the price is low, there's a reason. There are some nasty parts floating around out there. If you want a reliable engine, skip the cheap stuff, you can't afford it.

For what you want, the Ford Racing 302's are an excellent deal. Their 405hp 347 is not a bad deal, either. But I would stick with the 302.

I would call Mike or Steve at Fortes Parts and see what they have available. His prices are excellent, and service is even better. He is a dealer for Tremec and Ford Racing, and he has a machine shop so he can make whatever you want. He can even supply things like bellhousing to block bolts if you need them. They've always treated me right.

 

I myself went the cheap route and have been pleased. I bought a long block 302 from enginesdirect.com. I found them on eBay. They have 100% feedback and price was right, so I figured why not give them a shot. I paid $1499 shipped to my front door. That price also included a $100 core, so $1399 when it was all said and done. That price included shipping to any of the lower 48, plus the shipping on the core return. They had dozens of Ford 302's sold on eBay all with excellent feedback. I installed the engine in a few days by myself in my garage with zero issues so far (knock on wood). That was 600+ miles ago. The engine runs great and has a 3 year/100000 mile warranty. They shipping was fast (three days as they had one on the shelf ready to go), and I got an actual person on the phone everytime I called. The customer service has been great so far. I called once to ask some questions before placing my order, again to place the order, and once again to have them come for the core return. We'll see how the engine does, but it's my daily driver and I couldn't be more pleased so far. I'll be the first one you hear from if something goes wrong anytime soon.