Engine: 2.3 F/Inj C70 2.3 T5 engine rebuild '99/00

[Beatfreaks]

Hi, I've owned my C70 2.3 T5 for 13 and a half years now. I was away for 8 months and lent the car to my bro, when I got it back, it was sounding very tappety (prob because he starved it of oil and didn't take care of it, gutted!) and due to lack of funds, I continued to drive it and drive it hard as I've always done! Now because of my idiocy, this car is now parked on my driveway and has been for the past couple of months The engine is now F****D! I've had a couple of mechanics both give their opinions just from listening to it, one reckons it's the crank and the other reckons it's the fly wheel. I put a new clutch and fly wheel on it (my second in 13 years) about a year ago so don't reckon it's that. Before my idiocy, the car was religiously maintained regardless of cost! (Replacement gearbox at 70k, a couple of exhaust sensors and was just about to do a throttle body rebuild before it gave up the ghost!) Apart from the usual wear and tear, it has been pretty much bullet proof! I put full 3" miltek exhaust, racing cat, itg filter(many), plugs, always had ds2500 pads all round with standard 312mm discs (best brakes set up without doing a major conversion in my opinion and I've tried quite a few!) Koni FSD shocks with eibach 40mm springs and pollys all round. (More comfortable with this set up than it was when It was lowered 60mm previously but has less grip at the front and wheel spins more with the 40mm set up) Installed this whole set-up with rica chip from HLM in bromsgrove from 30kmiles and now has 130k. Despite living in London, I used to take it back there for service and tune up most years. (I've always been a secret Volvo forum reader but never posted before, never had a need to, just loved reading what people do to their volvos and respect how helpful everyone is)
Despite what I've read, I've always had good service from Hamish HLM and trust me when I say, there wasn't much on the road that over took me in a straight line! lol. I know there have been many disputes about the horse power figures that the remap/chip produces and to be frank whether my car was 280 or 300+hp was pretty much irrelevant. I've never got invloved in the politics and was always happy with my car, it was plenty fast for me! and if you've got a good healthy stage '0'(zero) 2.3 T5 engine, I would recommend this set up to anyone. I have friends with remapped/reworked imprezas, M3's VXR's, M5's and 911's and on a standard engine with the upgrades i've listed above, it was pretty much quicker from a standing start in a straight line than all apart from the 911 and believe it or not was quicker to 130 on a rolling start from 2nd gear against the 911 and M5! lol Yes my friends used to make fun of me for driving a volvo but they also used to say "I can't believe you over took me in a 15 year old Volvo when I was doing 170mph!" hehe. And that is the truth! Although, these cars were definitely not built for this kind of speed because anything over 150mph and the windscreen wipers come clean off the window and start flapping about and the side mirrors fold in ever so slightly lol. They're cable of these high speeds, trust me! And I've plenty of witnesses to prove it!

Anyway, I think I've expressed my love for my C70 and the 2.3 T5 engine enough! Please can you help me?
I want to re-build my engine with some upgrades, I know I have to open it up first to see what the damage is but I'm thinking that I may as well try and do it properly. I've saved close to 3grand to fund the project. Would this be enough to Strengthen the engine? maybe lightened crank, upgraded bottom end, injectors, fuel pump, water pump, valves, etc. and I will have to save up later to upgrade the turbo
Or would the experienced ones on here think it's not worth it and to just try and get a 2nd hand engine replacement? Can someone please post some links they know of anyone with the equivalence who've done a performance build that has been successful without too much headache. Or links with some tried and tested recommended parts.
Would really appreciate some advice from those of you who are in the know.
Many thanks.

[Relphee]

I am in exactly the same boat as you. A bad place to be right now