due to the lack of blocks readily available there have been some really great deals on top ends.... so "IF" you have the ways and means to procure a block, the power to put on it is out there. You just go in full well that if you hurt a block, that you end up with a bunch of cool parts to hang on your garage wall..... just keep that in mind (fun isn't it :) ) I know of one complete top end that was on a 9.0 deck combo that was going 8's that went to Australia for 5K and that was fresh. Ported intake, W8 heads, Jessel valve train, two sets pushrods, springs, valves. My combo, from a parts standpoint, certainly has the potential for 8's, but more reasonable minds convinced me that a mill that wouldn't require "babysitting" would provide me with a dependable mill. I logged 100 passes on mine with a few passes that dipped into the 9.4's. It's fun to wheel, and hindsite being what it is, I probably could have adjusted the valves at 20 passes and left them alone. It's really a fun combo and much more so than the big block tractor engine I had in my last car :). I've started collecting parts for my 9.0 deck block for the next venture. I hope to set this one more toward "kill" :). Small mopar has never been "cheap" or even remotely close.... R3 blocks sat untouched in warehouses for years. Two years ago when they went NS1 (no longer made) there was a feeding frenzy that emptied the Warren depot of most of the desirable blocks. Indy bought a bunch of them, mostly 59 degree stuff from what I understand.... and they want a pretty penny for them I hear. Last month I saw a 48 degree tall deck Siamese block sell on FB in about 4 hours for $3800.
