Valve lifters…solid/hydraulic/roller tappet/flat tappet?

[Barry_R]

Step away from the keyboard slowly with your hands clearly visible and have somebody disable and remove the dyno simulation software before anybody gets hurt.

Many of the original poster's goals can be reached - but not easily and not within the context of an original looking engine with iron heads. I've done 433 inch FEs that made over 500 ft-lbs at 2500 and nearly 700 horspower at 6500. But they were and are very highly developed engines using the very best possible parts. Old parts on an old platform ain't gonna get you even close.

Heads will need to be aftermarket alloy - like the aforementioned AFRs or Cleveland style CHI parts simply in order to get the necessary flow. No iron head factory can even come into the same zip code.

Cam will need to be short in duration compared to something race oriented - but bigger than any factory piece ever was - and have a fair amount of lift. A stock Ford 302 cam ain't going to get power at 7000. Does not matter how many times it gets written or how bold the type. Simply won't happen in the real world.

The only way I can see to get anything approaching low end driveability in a 7000 RPM package is to abandon the carburetor in favor of EFI. I worked at Holley for eight years and love those things dearly - but the only way to generate torque at low RPM with a large cross section port is to add length. On an SBF the only way to find runner length is to get the air metering away from the center of engine.

Just for backdrop - those luxury barges from the 60s were turds compared to anything modern from a performance perspective. They ran slowly, lumbered to 17 or 18 second 1/4s, and got miserable single digit mileage. Sure they idled smooth. Everything looks better in the mirror. My wife's minivan will outrun a 460 powered Lincoln...