A few wild cards are block, pistons and rods. With a goal of high torque and high (er) compression the pistons and block will need to be dialed in. Consistent deck height, compression distance and quench. Is the block square? Can you find a shelf stock piston/gasket to meet your goals and deliver good quench? Are the rods OK with new bolts and minor work at most?

Answers might range from <$1k to several thousand dollars.

Suggest you get your block measured, look for pistons and plan accordingly. In the spirit of managing to a budget, a (true) ~9.5:1 AL head non quench build will run a whole lot better than the stock 440 without breaking the bank.