Blazer build for MT Tech Mining Team

[drywaterbm1]

Okay, I am kind of hesitant to post this one up, but here goes.
I am a student in the Mining Engineering program at Montana Tech. I also do some fab work on the side, (beats working at McD's for a college job). The Mining team has an annual event, the International Intercollegiate Mining and Mucking Competition, that we attend. We hosted the last event here in Butte; and, we wiped the treasury doing it. A great event, we had teams from Virginia, Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Missouri, England, and Australia. 20 six person teams in all. Great fun.
About Australia... The event next year is hosted by WASM in Kalgoorlie, Australia. With an empty treasury, we are wearing out knees in our Carharts on summer internships and coming up with fundraisers to catch up the rest, we hope to send 4 teams of 6.
I have a fundraiser idea... I bought a 93 Blazer 2 years ago; and, as a deal sweetener, was GIVEN an 82 Blazer. This 82 would be the project.
As it sits.
1.) 250 inline six, runs, but needs TLC, and its high mileage.
2.) SM465 (YES!!!)
3.) NP208 (good) 10 bolts (good) last year of the brass hubs.
4.) repairable body, top in good shape.
I have been picking up parts for this rig, new (used) doors, fenders, topper glass. I bought an ORD rear shackle flip and front springs for $115. Found a tire shop to donate tires, up to 35", paint donated, graphics donated, and I will be performing all labor for free.
Here's my questions. Is the old tired 250 gonna fly? (162,000 odo) I would like to do a small block swap, (have headers and a radiator and it bolts directly to the sm465) but I don't want to dig into the cashbox to do it. Can this old girl be counted on to run and be doable? Local NAPA, Carquest, and O'Riellly's have ponied up $100 each, will the budget IYO fit?
Single stage or two stage paint? I can paint, but have a buddy with the 2 year Wyotech degree who could do a whole lot better. Which will hold up better and be shinier/deeper in the short run?
If you have the time, I can't afford BendTech, (I can barely afford a Sharpie to draw bends on the floor...) Can someone do me up an interior cage; or, have one already done? I have a JD2 with all the 1.5 .120 tubing in the world, (from when times were fat...) six or eight point, 5.5" R. Even pics or ideas would be awesome.
This old girl is going to be painted MTech Green with copper bumpers/cage/rims and paraded to every damn event the team can get to, (football, bball, vball games, local competitions, state competitions, hell, if we hear about an event on the radio we will go there too!), parked wherever visible, and raffled at a dollar a ticket, unlimited ticket sales. Does 20K for a four month run sound outlandish?
Enough for now, I will post pics 2moro. Any experience, ideas, pics, or otherwise is extremely welcome. My personal email is sdnorton@mtech.edu. Thanks in advance,
Boats

[warrpath4x4]

sounds cool, that 250 wont be a powerhouse but those old sixes could built some torque

[drywaterbm1]

Well... It has been a loooong time since I posted here! I am putting the body into primer this week. I hope to have this thing in paint the first week of Jan, then I will actually get to do some fab work on it. The cage is being designed using AutoCad, cuz it's free... I am really learning how to hate CAD '09. Once I start the cage, I will be posting pics. Actually, once I start the sliders as I need them to mount the cage to. Looking forward to your ideas and especially your expertise. I will post my CAD file in a couple of days.
Boats