Help me build the engine for my 289FIA Kirkham

[RestoCreations]

My 289 Kirkham will be ready sometime this spring and it is time to start thinking about the motor.
A few initial thoughts!
-This will be a street car, not a race car. I enjoy going fast from 0-70, but I am not willing to sacrifice drivability to have a car that is .01 seconds faster in the quarter mile. However, I do like to have enough cam to pull out of a turn and still have good acceleration in 3rd gear.
-While the Shelby block would be nice, the extra 3,500 could go towards a stack injection system or something that is more noticeable up top. Injection options are at bottom.

1. Engine Block
I've put a good bit of thought into this and I've decided for the long term value of the car that I would like to use an aluminum 351 block, either from Ford Racing or Shelby.
-Ford Racing 351 Aluminum Block is around $3,300(lowest I can find it) Anybody know if this block comes honed and ready to assemble or is it just prepped for final hone?
-Shelby 351 Block is $7,000. (OUCH)

2. Cylinder Heads
-AFR 205 CC aluminum heads assembled $1,700.00. That is the lowest price I have found and I dont expect to find them any lower.
-Shelby signature AFR 205CC Heads: $2,100.00

3. Rotating Assembly I haven't put much thought into this, but thanks to today's gas, which is bound to get worse thanks to the overreach of the EPA and ethanol subsidies, I'm going to assume i need to stick with a compression ratio between 9.8:1-10.5:1. I have used DSS in the past for short blocks, but I haven't used them in a long time and I have never purchased one of their rotating assemblies. However, it would be nice to have a complete rotating assembly show up balanced and ready to be assembled! Thoughts?
What brands for a 427 Stroker?
-Pistons
-Rods
-Pistons
-Bearings
- Balancer
- Flywheel.

4. Camshaft, lifters, timing chain and sprockets
-I think a roller is probably the only way to go, but since I have heard bad things about mechanical roller lifters, I'd like to stick to a hydraulic roller camshaft. However, i've had issues with hydraulic roller lifters bleeding down too quickly in one case and in three cases, not pumping up quickly enough upon initial start up...tons of chatter and slight engine misfires until the oil warms up. Im thinking in the 230-240 duration range with around 600 lift, and a 112 lobe separation, 108 on center. I like a nice choppy idle, but not to the point where the car sounds like it is going to stall every other rotation. For some reason, every cam i have ever used that has had a 110 lobe separation on a 108 center always sounds smoother than the cams i have used with a 112 lobe separation.

5. Oil Pan
I'm not so sure i am up for paying 700.00 for an aviad or shelby pan. the last aviad pan i purchased leaked around the bung welds. Pretty annoying after dropping 800.00 on an oil pan!

6. Flywheel, balancer, and bellhousing
-How lightweight is too lightweight when it comes to a flywheel? I'm thinking about something in-between the weight of a steel and aluminum unit?
-Balancer-Recommended brands and size? engine will be internally balanced
- I'm not going to race this car, so i really don't think a ultra heavy Quicktime bellhousing will be necessary. It looks like I can purchase an aluminum unit that will work with the TKO600 from modern driveline for about 195.00. I guess if i sell the car down the road and the new owner wants to race the car, they can always add a quicktime without issue.

7. Clutch
-I'm starting to think this is an area where people go way overboard. I don't want a clutch that is so heavy duty it makes the clutch difficult to push in or grabs so hard that it makes cruising around town with a lot of stop and go unpleasant. I've used centerforce and ram units in the past with good luck, but i am open to suggestions for other brands.

8. Head Gaskets
- Cometic, felpro, or? Cometic waste of money or necessary for aluminum block?

9. Pulley system
-I like a nice serpentine pulley system. No accessories will be used. I used a march system for a build a few years ago and all of the spacers were wrong. I ended up fabricating all of my own and it took quite some time to get everything spaced out correctly. Id rather not spend a bunch of money again on a system that does not bolt on out of the box. Recommended brands that actually bolt on and are spaced out correctly?

10. Injection system
-Option 1: I recently purchased a Mass-Flo EFI system that was never installed. However, it did not come with the distributor, computer, or wiring. I used two of these systems on small block fords many years ago and they worked very well, but those engines had somewhat mild hydraulic roller camshafts. I read on the website that the computer for the new systems is no longer the A9L, but is now a programmable system. So, i suppose using a more radical cam might not be an issue, as some have stated it to be with the older A9L computer.
-Option 2: Stack injection system with a FAST XFI engine management system. After reading multiple accounts of issues with the FAST Easy EFI system, i refuse to use it. Im not interested in using a DC&O System. I like the looks of the fuel rails on the middle of the intake. I've never installed a stack injection system, but have ready many a horror stories. From the ones i have seen in action, it appears they either work perfectly, or they don't seem to work very well at all. I am sure most of this is due to the engine management system and the capability of the person tuning the system.


Any help is much appreciated! I find it is always good to get others opinions before purchasing engine parts! T

Thanks