Well said Gary -

I'll second most of what's been said and encourage you to just listen to Pat and others - digest it a bit and write up a plan for where you'd like to be in say six months. We've all been 17 and really - we do know what you're going through. I for one am impressed with the way you've presented your situation and you're holding your own with your first exchange on the forum.

I'd put what you've got together and use stock rockers arms (if you have them) and run it a while - this will not be the last time you're into the motor and hearing it run and driving the car a bit will be an encouragement. If you don't have the stock rockers, Summit sells a stamped steel 1.5 lift ratio kit for about 90 bucks (Summit Racing SUM-141506) that has roller tips and comes with new balls and nuts so you've got some neat new components in the valve train that will reduce friction and not break your bank.

When I was 17, I was working a 312 Ford with mushroom tappets and had that thing apart "several times" to change cams and such - one time because I got the lash too tight and bent a push rod, another time because I got a "good deal" on a "3/4 race cam" that actually ran like crap because I had the wrong tappets... That's how I (and many others here) learned.

Keep asking questions - we sometimes come across as a bunch of gruff ol' billy goats, but there's a ton of experience here and a lot of wisdom to be had.

Regards,
Glenn