realistically it takes about a grand in internals to have a b230 that's more than strong enough for most if not everyone floating around on here. beyond that, and we're not arguing about saving a couple hundred bucks (maybe) and we're not talking about most garage projects either, so that's a moot point.
I go back to my initial question that got dismissed.. what's the need?
You don't save anything, if you think "hey cool I don't have to buy an adapter plate to run a transmission" you're on the wrong end of the discussion to begin with...
in order to make use of a volvo head (which the ford guys all beat off to at night instead of porn) you get to do some interesting work to the head itself.. that's not free and may not even be all that cheap if you don't have a machine shop at your disposal. Then you get to adapt enough stuff to get it all working harmoniously, once you're done with that, you've got the privilege of getting it in the car and the time required for that (but, in a forum full of sad broke mf's I guess labor is largely free, yes?). so you've spent countless hours and still got at least hundreds of dollars in machine work (if not more depending), for what?
Who breaks blocks? 99% of the "builds" floating around would be effectively as bullet proof as the ford with a set of ebay stock replacement hbeam rods and the 'puny' 3/8 rod bolts. No one here is pushing the limits. If you're curious when you might be and what you may need to do once you reach that point, there are countless sources overseas to guide you in the right direction.
so, to answer OP: why? because it's a waste of time.
