Which Rods and pistons for a 360?

Well said. Thicker cylinder walls mean stronger cylinder walls that have less flex and a better seal with the pistons and rings. For what you describe, I myself would run a forged piston. It will handle lots of NO2. No worries there.

On the rods, if your OE rods are fine, then replacing them should only include the idea that they may not be strong enough to ha Dow the the extra power sought. New rods are cheaper, lighter and stronger than stock units that need a rebuild. For there price, there impossible to beat.

The question here (on rods) is how much power do you intend to make a d with how much of it with the juice?