It was ootb SM Big Block heads and it's actually in a boat, doesn't get ran too hard and lives its life under 5500 so was really an Apple's to Potatoes comparison. Reality is that once bolted/studded, heads essentially just sit there so not too afraid of them so long as threads don't start pulling......it's the moving and retention components in a head where I'll pony up the bucks and not cut corners and hopefully all will work out to get me where I want to be which is 6.50's with a 450 HP 408 w/9lbs of boost on 275's in a 2800 lb car w/ 3:23's or 55's. Buddy says don't be surprised if it runs Six O's.
Face it, most stuff is made out of Chinkonium anymore and they can make good stuff or cheap stuff and they surely make plenty of that. It's all contingent on what the specifications and parameters are of the party outsourcing the manufacturing so it's not Cholly who's to blame but moreso the greedy corporations that have gotten these FOOLS used to living in a Throw Away Society. If they require U.S. Steel they'll use it, A basically regulation free country with low labor costs is why everything has moved there in addition to the fact that NOT ALL but some Americans are just plain Fkn Lazy or refuse to do anything laborious. Their theft of our IP is my biggest problem with them and not sure if we'll get on top of that.
