Building a 77 motorhome 440
While money is definitely a big factor here,
*proceeds to list 10K worth of motor stuff*
frankly I just want to build a stupid powerful motor.
cool. cool. cool, cool, cool. just be ready to open your wallet W-I-D-E
while you're on the right track-- heads are a critical part of the power makin' equation-- that 1500~4K you're dropping for heads is only one aspect of the whole encharito amigo.
big stupid power means big stupid money. unless you have a hook up at a machine shop and race car friends that are gifting you leftovers the cost of getting there is steep and adds up quickly.
also, stupid powerful motors don't make great daily drivers. beyond generally not having the greatest street manners, they require a higher level of care and feeding than something built well that makes reasonable power. but you'll hear otherwise from a bunch of folks, so that's up to you to separate the wheat from the chaff there.