I don't buy into the logic that 'old' parts should be case aside. A 30 year old doesn't automatically mean it's junk. It's just as likely a new rod has a casting flaw. How you gonna know? Xray? Check for hardness, straightness, etc. etc.? Sure, like we gotta a NASCAR budget for engine building. Your taking a risk, less risk for new part than for an old part? OK, how about a little common sense here, COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS.
Torgue plates MUST be used for the bore? Yeah right, like everyone did THAT back in the day! What you gonna do with your motor? COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS. HELLO!!! Align bore\hone? Sure why not, thats a SAFE answer!
The EASY and ALWAYS politically correct and LAZY 'no risk of looking like a fool' answer is: Just buy everything new, let the BIG dogs build it, pony up the bucks, leave no part unmachined and sign the dam check. Heck with the guy trying to save a few bucks, call HIM the fool.
Sheessssh, whatever happened to building your own dam engine your way within a REASONABLE budget and driving it like you built it? Now if your gonna turn it 7000 grand and run NASCAR, you might want to get your check book out and let someone else build it (weanie that you are).
My custom pistons ran almost a $1000, ouch!!! Believe me I did a cost benefit analysis a million times over that one!
Hmmm, flat tappet cam eh? Now thats a MAN's cam, well done!
(Hey, it's just a rant, tongue in cheek, some truth may or may not exist. If the shoe fits.... ),
Tis better to build it on a budget and blow it up than to never have built it at all!