So short version is, that 2000 dollar short block isn't out of the budget, and I have been wanting to build a striker for a long time. I have a feeling that my bottom end is in good shape and I could continue with this build (after some cleaning as Grumpy stated) and be listening to this thing rumble in my driveway and tackling the stall issue and I think I could drive the heck out of it for at least a year and have a great time ( kids and Fiancé are missing the weekend drives to the lake in Dad's dumbly truck ) In the meantime, get an engine stand and picker, order that ATK 383 short block, and really take my time with it. When my motor quits, I think it'll be in the form of a piston ring or something non catastrophic (maybe wishful thinking lol) and I could then swap the heads, put it all together and have a 450/470 small block just waiting. And, during that year of driving current motor, address some of the suspension and brake insufficiencies and prep for the 383....that wasn't as short as I thought actually, short story long
