I started with "Just to clarify" , in case of any confusion. No harm meant, no offense taken. No offense meant.
As for your opinion "Cheaper in the long run". That's both correct/ incorrect depending on your/ my perspective. Most of the reason why i start with junk, before i get serious, and go the "cheaper in the long run route"is to acquire data, and find weak parts that need to be upgraded. Its a technique i have used for many many years, and its very effective. Instead of destroying all new parts, i use junk first, gather data, then rebuild it all the right way, to the limiting factor ,at times, of my personal Budget.
Forged pistons still would have been completely ruined in my last explosive block cracked scenario. Instead of costing me $214 for h beam rods, the damage would have been $1000 or more with new goods. Just for an example.
Now if i had built it all up and took it to a machine shop and had everything checked out before i slapped my grind ed pistons in, it would still be running right now-and that block would have been thrown away-never to be used. Instead i choose to hold out on the pistons and the machine work,and half ass the last one, and it got me by 8-10 more months to save for bigger and better things. Because- i wasn't ready for the big jump in cost for the right block, and all the right machine shop work with said block, and all new little bits, gaskets bearings. I still came out on the cheap end, while eating twice the labor to save the money.(a risk i am willing to take, i do all the labor- so cool) Perspective is everything, and we all have our personal time constraints, and priorities.At the time- i threw the last one together, it was not a priority to make it last a few years.. Well fast forward to now, priorities have changed. So to answer your "cheaper in the long run" statement, Yes..... and ..... No. acquired data is everything to me. And i am that much closer.
No harm meant, no hard feelings. Having said that, after being kicked off this forum for a few days, for MY improperly executed defense against trolling, that you Directly had involvement with , I'm not mad at ya, and i hope we can still be volbros.