well i say if u dont have the money up front to do it then it is better to build it... but u cant be picky and want to have it in a timely manor and not put out a bunch of money in a short period of time.. i have been workin on my conversion on and off.. for maybe a few weeks a year for 4years be cause its jus a hobby and a stress reliever to me i have one of the LT1 cars. to me a car means less to u when u buy it the way u want it, but when u build it the way u want it.. its priceless.. i say its a choice u make on your own depending on your funds, and how much time u r willing to spend on this project. i think these guys on here have done great cars if u do decide to purchase one. the 5.0 conversions look so much more stock and like they really belong than an LT1, if i had to do it again i would do a ford conversion only because i have already done a chevy. i say good luck and keep us updated on your decicision and progress. and if u lived like close to DC doin the conversion seems awfully cheap since u can have a nearly perfectly running 240 or 740 for around $250 since they r jus so many of them around and a LT1 or 5.0 could be had for 150-1000 because they r extremely plentiful here also.. wow that was a lot of typing... good luck man