For those who question the durability of Ma Mopar's steel and aluminum...

Krooser
did you use a ring groove chaser on those pistons?
polish the head
new rings?
thanks for the pics
back in the c/fuel days we took those shortblocks and stuck in our cam and lifters, heads, strombergs tipped the can and had fun'
when the stock block expired just get another one
sometimes shifted as it saved smoking and wearing out the tires no slipper clutches but Scheiffer was still on Monterey Pass road in neighboring Monterey Park
I can remember when we put a scattershield on (that's another sad story)
and where it led with our driver is still painful

My first trip to Bonneville was in '79. While roaming thru the pits I got hooked up with some guys running about three Street/Roadster classes in a A roaster. They had rooms in Wendover... I came in a rental car from SLC (my White Road Commander's cooling fan broke coming across I-80 and came thru the doghouse nearly taking out my co-drivers right foot. I was stuck in SLC waiting for parts).

We struck up a deal... I'd trade my minimal skills in wrenching and helping them clean parts to rebuild a blown SBC. I got a spot on the floor and a pillow. Done deal.

Like many before them they sent two guys off to the junk yard in Salt Lake to procure a forged crank and some connecting rods. They came back with a complete '58 283 with fuelie heads. Perfect for the class they were running the next day. They had many stories of guys going to the same yard coming back with Hemi's that they washed up in a bathtub at the motel, installed a new Dean Moon cam and went out and set a record. Halcyon days of hot rodding.