Yeah, it doesn't add up - $50K boost for a fairly average 383 car (and I like 383s) for a matching engine? And the trans doesn't match anyway? $20K for the repair?
At the least, to me that came across as defending the restoration bill for the car.
And the repaired area on the outside of the block was fairly obvious; without any guarantee that the repair would hold up, it doesn't seem like a wise use of money.
I think most folks would put a stroker low-deck in, save the damaged block, and enjoy the car...I would...

Back in the early '70s, we used to buy ported race heads from Traco that had cracks in the combustion chambers, and take 'em to Cyclone Excel-weld in L.A. for repairs.
IIRC, they were the best guys in the area at repairing cast iron.
Pretty smokin' deal all done and they worked fine in the drag cars; saved the car owners lots of $.
May not make sense nowadays with the proliferation of good heads, and in aluminum to boot, which are easier to repair.

Agree on the reduced schtick lending a better presentation; I found the math & backwards intake segments pretty funny, though the intake raises questions about paying attention.
Seemed to me the lifters on that 383 were noisy for a long time on the run-in stand, but maybe that was just the microphone?