Is the 250 a clear winner over the 230? well, no. Not a big enough difference to be a deal breaker if you found a great truck that had a 230 in it anyway. I think either would probably be fine for your purposes. Much more important is finding an overall solid platform for a hobby/project truck that won't kill your fun factor while honing your skills at repair and maintenance. That said, 250's were in production for a long time and anything from parts to complete motors are everywhere. I frequently see V8 swap orphans complete from air cleaner to oil pan for a few hundred bucks.
Bottom line? I say look hard for the right truck. Try to find an unmolested original that just needs a little love and chances are whatever motor it has in it will be fine.
