stop talking. pointless post.
still wont come in under 3gs unless he get rock bottom low end parts. also a high mileage lsx to save on cost for all the other things he will need.
if he already has the tools then he could get if for under 3gs, just has to be patient and wait for great deals, then when he finds one jump on it.
of course there is always the option for a reg ole SBC