Yes, I built this motor a few years ago and made sure to have 10.5-1 pistons...just like stock. Paid the big bucks and got the forged. Runs great but I feel that the motor hasn't come close to reaching its potential.
Right... But the stock pistons are really closer to 9:1 in a real engine, and the TRW/Speed Pro "10.5" pistons are only around 9.5:1 with open chamber heads and a typical factory block. You have to deck the block, and cut the heads a bit to get things to be a true 10.5:1. That was my point. A really good engine is more than the sum of it's parts (or reciepts). It also takes the care when making those parts work properly together.
As a quick test, take a cylinder pressure reading on a few holes, engine warmed up, all plugs out, and the throttle wired open.