swap or rebuild?

[whitebroncoii87]

Hi, the noise problem continues, yesterday took the car to hit a park trail it was hesitating when first putting it in gear then at the light, think it was caused by having retarded the timing to 8* or so. I keep driving it, and I think by that time it was beginning to make a constant roar on acceleration, I'm wild guessing a bearing noise, the knock is mixed in there but improved after I put in the second-hand knock sensor from ebay just arrived in mail. I get on the highway and cannot get past 45 mph on normal way of driving, didn't want to really step on it hard.. After about 20 miles of this I found a long safe stretch on the shoulder and pulled over, turned the distributor to advance the timing and now it's doing 55 like normal. but by this time the car is just noisy, constant noise, like my fan clutch before I replaced it, louder on acceleration but always there even idle. The engine shakes on idle and I can see my shifter wag like a tail. So some misfires are in there as well probably.

So, I'm thinking I'm at a juncture to decide whether to swap or rebuild, it's an 87 computer but I must have and 88 or up engine because no egr. This fact kind of leans me towards swapping it out. I saw this on my local craigslist

http://newyork.craigslist.org/lgi/cto/5089363336.html

will this work? I'm pretty much a newbie and want to pick an easy swap.

Or I was thinking getting a camshaft and crankshaft kit and probably new valves on the 88 engine and probably get an 88 computer if I can find it, or retrofit egr on the 88 engine and keep the 87 computer.

I'm kind of leaning toward a swap because I don't know what other hidden troubles are in the existing one but would love to save this one if it's worth it too. Please advice. Thank you