[lippy]

I'm considering either an iron or aluminum Pond block for my ERA build. I'm a big fan of the weight savings associated with the aluminum, and the cost differential isn't that much in the context of the cost of the whole project. But I am wondering about the long-term reliability and longevity of these aluminum blocks. It took Ford and others several years and significant resources to design all aluminum engines, and I wonder if the aftermarket blocks may be good in the beginning but fail to hold up over the longer term. I hear great things about Pond, but the resources and testing capabilities of a small aftermarket vendor are very limited. It would be great to know the longest anyone has used one of these blocks in service, what their experience has been, and of course, their opinion on one vs the other. Thanks!