another freaking engine build thread

Honestly dude, unless there's a big hole in the block, I'd say it's probably in rebuildable shape, and if all you want is a drivable car (and though you say not on the strip, it may make it there one day), then just build up the 440 shortblock with zero decked flat tops from KB or the like, buy your Edelbrock or stealth heads, have them cleaned up by a trusted machinist, slide in a solid cam with about 285-290 total, 240-250 @ 050, and mid 500s lift and you'll be good...that type of build in a 440 will still give you 450+ and you don't need a stroker to do it.

Like moper said, if you build a 543, feeding it properly would be a matter of buying much better heads....yes you can bolt down a stock or touched up set of Edelbrocks, but it would be kinda like sticking stock 318 heads on a 408 with a solid roller cam and 11:1 compression...mismatched.