Yeah it's not as simple as 'dropping' a v8 and a manual in. You'll need the wiring harness, computer, upgraded suspension and a ton of other parts. Depending on how long you want the vehicle down and how much you want to spend, it would probably be best to try to fix what is wrong now, and start collecting the parts to do a v8 swap. Research all that you will need. It would be better to have all the parts at the time of the swap as opposed to trying to piece it together as a work in progress. As for replacing the lower end of your current motor, all the things you listed is what you'll need. If you have the coin, rebuild or buy some heads, put in a cam, stall converter, rear gears and you'll like the results.