Originally Posted by
Flexray
If he decides to keep it stock, I would put a used engine in.
If he wants to turbo it. That changes things. Mistakes will be made, money will be wasted, skills need to be developed. Start with fixing the current engine. If you cannot put together a stock NA engine, you won't be able to build a reliable turbo set up. Buy some engine building books, be careful with youtube. Learn how to properly assemble an engine using the proper tooling and procedures. Go through the engine find out what it needs, then send the parts to the machine shop. Once you get them back, check their work. Trust no one. A set of factory sleeves, bearings, pistons, and a gasket set is not going to cost that much.
Now buy a used engine and start building your turbo set up. Take everything you learned from fixing your last engine and apply it to this build. You can bolt on thousands of dollars of parts to this engine with a bit more confidence. This engine will probably blow up, because that is what happens with 20 year olds and turbos. Find out why it blew up, learn from it and start again.
Budget and aftermarket turbo don't go well together.