well port work is easy you just need a reamer and a little work to blend them in. take a mill cut off the head about .030. you can get shorty headers for about $135-140 from speedway motors. they will work way better then a split manifold. as for carbs go with a dual carb manifold with 2 staged 2 barrels. that will give better fuel distrabution then one carb bumping in the middle. with some mods you can use a late model hei distruibtor.

the stock oil pump is good enough and so is the stock fuel pump. same for the water pump.

the first money you should spend is for the book: california bills chevrolet gmc & buick speed manual.

if you can find a 261 chevy or a 270 or 302 gmc you would be farther ahead.

i ran a 36 chevy coupe with a 261 with bual carbs fenten headers hotter cam. muncie 4sp and a 3.73 rear then i put that same motor in a 61 biscaye.

had a 261 with dual corvar carbs fenten headers. in my 62 3/4 ton truck it towed nice.