Probably the best way to end confusion is to decide what you really truly want at the end of the project and set yourself in that direction. If you want a high performance engine in a 56 year old pickup, that's one thing. It may not be cheap.
On the other hand, if you want a really nice rebuilt 283, all you need is a machinist with the sort of passion for excellence in his work that Jerry (and others like him) have. That 283 has a chance to be resurrected as a terrific engine in the right hands. I've owned/rebuilt 3 of these and I was not impressed with the ones from 1957 and 1958 when compared with the one from 1967...not certain what but something was changed that made the later 283 much nicer. Nearly an ideal engine, in fact. Good luck.
