408 blueprint motor 445 hp

Crate engines are beased entirely on a few modern business principles: Buy a larger amount of a product for less (meaning parts they'll use) repeat the machining enough and the machinist gets a lot faster and you avoid setup time, and assemble it fast. Unfortunately, to do volume in many different makes, it leaves them open to a lot of stupid mistakes. So yes - cheaper. But quality has to suffer.
Buyers have to settle thier priorities - HP goal, money limit, expected quality. It's like they say: fast, cheap, safe - you can have any two you want.

I'd also recommend a local trusted shop. In terms of today's internet - in CA is local...lol.
Brian at IMM can do a great job, and if you emphasize wat your budget is, I'm sure he can educate you if needed, and stay within the limits of your budget.