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Well last I looked, if you pay someone to throw together a conversion kit that's already $1000. Add whatever 5 speed junkyard transmission you want to use, so I don't know, another $100. Then you need your clutch kit, about $150-$300, then you need your engine.
With the LSx + T56 I'm pretty sure you can land a T56 for about $1200, the flywheel and clutch is a few hundred, and then your motor can range from a $150 iron block 5.3 to a $92734982794283 LSmegajiggawatsuperchargedvtekhotness
Yeah... this is Indy, though... and the motors don't hang around even when monstrously overpriced. 
Especially the aluminum ones, which is what i'd be cross-shopping.
Unless i felt like traveling to pick up all my parts and/or approaching a build like this with a penny-pinching challenge mindset over the course of a couple years, i doubt i personally could get an aluminum LSx + T56 in anything other than a car it originally came in for under $5000.
Don't take this as arguing. If all things were equal, i don't know which i'd use. But considering most of the cars i'm interested in would be grossly overpowered with a 1uzfe, i'm not real psyched about spending more to make the car even less useable with an LSx. 
And that is exactly why I decided to not go with an LSx. Way too much power for the e30.
Errrr i mean....
MOAR BOOST!!!!! 
MOAR CAM!
?
