Inevitable Daytona 3.0 Rebuild

After 242k miles and nearly 6 years of my ownership, my '91 Daytona has finally shown the signs of engine bearing failure. I was pretty upset when I discovered this but I'm now determined to keep one of our little cars alive. I'm preparing myself for the lengthy task of yanking the motor out and rebuilding it myself but I have a lot of questions about pretty much everything, from how to prolong the inevitable to how to make sure the tolerances are good. So sit back, grab a cold snack, and brace yourself for a loooooong post of me explaining what's going on and what I'm looking to do.

Symptoms
I changed my oil 2 weeks ago and discovered glitter in the oil, as well as some bits in the drain pan. I hoped it was a contaminated drain pan, as the last time I used it was to drain my power steering pump which was full of metal. Cutting open the filter yielded the same glitter oil and 3 or 4 flecks of metal in the filter paper, so it has to be from the engine. Oil pressure was still perfect as per usual. The valvetrain was a little noisy because it was a little low before I changed it, but after fresh oil it sounded normal. I used a wrench to listen to the bottom end and heard no hints of knock or grinding. I inspected the valvetrain through the fill cap and the cam lobes and rocker rollers were pristine, so I doubt it's top end related. My guess is rod bearings wearing out from a combination of age/mileage, using 5w-30 in Florida summers, and spirited driving.

Now I admit that I don't drive conservatively. I do always allow the thing to warm up until the temp needle starts to move before driving, and I make sure the thermostat is open before exceeding 2500 rpm. But once it's fully warmed up, I do eventually get to the point of revving out to 5200 or 5500 more frequently than I probably should. It's impossible for me to resist, the car is too much fun to drive. Definitely does not help the situation though.

What To Do Before Rebuilding
I am an engineering student and I have an internship beginning Monday (the 22nd) but I do have alternative transportation from a family member if I need be. My plan was to drive it for a week and change the oil again, then move to either 5w-40, 10w-40, or 10w-50 oil to keep the engine alive until I can get all the parts and tools lined up. But ultimately if there's metal in the oil, it's only a matter of time until catastrophic failure. If thicker oil isn't a good idea, what is the best course of action for prolonging the inevitable?

Rebuilding
I do understand the internal structure of piston engines and I have disassembled an engine (a Honda D16) with a friend before, so I believe I have enough knowledge to tackle the project. I also have all 3 factory service manuals and the Chilton manual so all the tolerances and torque specs should be readily available. However, I don't know the best brands offered for new parts or exactly how deep the damage goes. On one hand, it could be a simple job of new bearings, bolts, and gaskets. Worst case I discover damage other things and need new rods, pistons, and even machine work to the block and/or crankshaft. I'd rather overprepare with the parts and return stuff than wait on stuff I didn't order. Obviously I need the necessary tools for checking clearances and tolerances, which I don't have. Which tools will I need for this? I've heard plastigauge can work, but I'm not sure I can trust that if I'm trying to make the engine go another 100k miles. I do have torque wrenches for the 50-250 lb-ft and 20-200 in-lb ranges.

If I'm fully disassembling the engine, I may as well do everything I can within reason. I'd like to rebuild the oil pump to be safe, but I'm not sure where to get the parts. All new external seals, valve springs, valve stem seals, and even new exhaust manifolds (I believe the rear one has a crack, a ticking comes and goes). I'm not sure if I should get new pistons and rods though. It would make sense to do them even if it's not necessary, but I'm not sure how much they cost.

If I am way in over my head, I'll try to find a shop to handle the rebuild. But I would much prefer DIYing the project so I can learn (and saving money is nice). If you know of a engine building shop in Florida worth recommending, just let me know.

Reinstallation and Break-In
Once the rebuild is done, I know the engine has to be broken in with special oil and heat cycles. But I'm not sure exactly what the process is or what stuff to use. Obviously with revs, something like a strict 2500 rpm limit is a good idea for several hundred miles, and heat cycling a couple times before driving is a good idea to let the head gaskets and rings settle in. But beyond that I don't know.

Closing
Sorry for my long-winded monologue, I just like to provide as much detail as possible and some of my thought process just in case I'm heading in the wrong direction. One of the things I'm considering for the rebuild is a baffled oil pan but I haven't found an off-the-shelf one. I would love to try autocross, but I know hard right hand corners could oil starve the engine because of the sump and pan design.