[tpiini]

Thanks for the help so far. Now more specifically, what can I expect for a reasonable red-line for a 390? If I were to improve on the stock rods & crank, how much of an improvement would I see?

Is it nuts to think I could (VERY OCCASIONALLY) spin it up to, say, 7k, with regular acceleration trips into the 6.5k ring? Or could I exceed those numbers?

I expect to spend good money on heads & valvetrain, but my big concern is in building a bottom end to handle whatever I decide to throw at it.

SFFiredog had a lot of good information, but I'm wondering just how strong the stock bottom end is and how much money I should throw at it other than just better studs/bolts.

Thanks, Tom