[Fred Douglass]

..I for one agree that the more power the better---you don't HAVE to use it all the time---but it's nice to have it there! I am trying to get a 408 Cleveland going well. These things are air-drills, when it comes to revability. I just wnated to get over 450 hp AND ft/lbs.
An old gentleman told me some "truths" which may or may not still apply. He said you want to keep the cubic inches and the desired power numbers (hp and torque) roughly equal or no more than 25% OVER the cubic-inch displacement. If I'm getting 408 ci, I should expect a 500 hp. 500 ft/lb build will last quite a while before the rebuild. THe old man said it is less stressful to build street engines this way....
I've driven three SPFs on test drives---one of them had a stock 394 "crater"--good power, smooth engine--but not enough for me. The second one had a 427 (from a 351W) and it screamed. The third had a punched and stroked 429--up to about 511 ci (no crap) and that car was SICK. WSith that much power, you don't care that the plant weighs 200# more than the Windsor stroker--you ain't gonna notice it. That car scared me!

You will find that these cars "teach" you a lot (hopefully in an exhilirating and damage-free manner). What will happen, when you get "used" to your 450 hp engine is that you'll want MORE---I certainly did!