Head and cam selection help for 440

PRH said
The bottom line is....... making 500-550hp from a std stroke 440 really isn’t that hard at all.
You just need “enough” of the basics.......
-flow
-compression
-cam
-carb
-intake manifold
-header

That performance level has been achieved from relatively basic combos for over 30 years.
The main difference 30 years ago was, there were no affordable aftermarket performance replacement heads.
So, someone had to rework some iron to get there.
In 1990, my old 9.7:1 448 made 535tq/535hp with mildly ported big valve 906’s(first heads I “ported”), RB SSH-44 cam, Torker 2, 850DP Holley, Hooker 2” headers.
A few years later, after I had bought my first flow bench, I got the chance to test my handy work.
Only about 240cfm.

That combo went low-11’s at 121+@ 3600lbs back in 1991/92.

Now, you can buy way better heads for pretty cheap money.
These days...... as back then....... the combo itself is the most important part of the puzzle.

Dwayne, been doing some thinking and need to ask you this as i dont really know. For close to the same money as the TF240 heads, i could buy a 440 source 505 stroker kit..nice new LIGHTWEIGHT and balanced rotating assembly compared to the heavy TRW 2355 piston/cast crank i currently have. I couldnt afford to do both the stroker kit and the TF240 heads at this time, so, wondering, if i built the 440 source 505 and kept the bone stock 452 heads, would this also get me to my 550 horse goal? My GUESS is no because the stock heads couldnt feed the big cubes what it needs but i am not sure..That is a lot more cubes! What do you say on this? Keep heavy bottom end and go with TF240 heads and better cam, or keep stock 452 heads and go with 440 source stroker?