Keep in mind it is much easier to get the crank line bored in alignment to the deck or pan rails than it is to do it the other way around, at least in terms of machine setup. You're talking about a bear of a job to try and get a block lined up in the mill to be parallel with the crank centerline rather than just the pan rails, and it would involve a LOT of shimming of an entire engine block. You have to dial indicate each end for height off the table AND at least a few of the cylinders to ensure it is vertical and you haven't put any twist into the block, and every time you move something you gotta redo probably 5 indications, hopefully adjust it right with just tightening down clamps some more and NOT put twist into it, indicate more, and repeat until you're way past sick and tired of it.
Compare that to just cleaning the surfaces really well, decking it, putting it on the line bore on the new surface, getting it perpendicular, and then boring out each hole. It's another machine setup and 7 operations, but it would be a a standard procedure vs redoing the same 20 minutes of measuring a dozen times hoping for a different result.
For the ZF8 speed I was EXTREMELY interested in it for the 98%+ efficiency, and I had found some forums threads by a guy who successfully did it with an Arduino and an SBC in an old american muscle car, but I went to click on it and the links are dead. So that's sad.
From what I remember, he removed the stock computer (which was built into the transmission valvebody itself) and wired directly into the solenoids and used PWM for the pressure control. I forget what happened with the variable displacement pump, either he set it to full displacement all the time and used the pressure regulator solenoid to relieve excess pressure, or maybe he did 2 PWM channels to control both the displacement and the pressure.
You could probably get a cheaper 8HP45 to play with and then spend the money on an 8HP70 or higher for the 80 once you've figured out how to control it.
Here's a video one guy made but he doesn't really go into detail other listing the controller and saying it was a lot of trial and error tuning it.
Also, did you ever tempt the idea of a 105 series head just for fun? Available with the EGR passage left solid and it is equipped for the stock distributor. I was VERY tempted to do this but wasn't sure about intake manifold compatibility and wasn't ready to be a guinea pig.
You do need to have a machine shop check it over, as on mine some of the valve seats were out of concentricity by up to 1.5 thousandths. Many would say its fine but I assume you're with me in saying it has to be absolutely perfect to go for another 300k miles of service.
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