No you're absolutely right.... the engine in my Mirada was a prime example. Mild port Stage VI, 4500 M1 intake with Ebay dominator (old carb shop piece... I should have kept it!), stock block, stock LY rods (Moparbilly beta tested LY's to the 8's on spray so I wasn't worried about mine ), stock crank welded and cut to 4.15, stock main caps with ARP studs, off the shelf Ross pistons, UD640 mech cam, no hardblock, freshened 4 times and was pretty much used up at the last one.... ran 9.93's on a string the last time I ran the car in 2012. Wore out bullet is STILL in the car two owners later..... but it was a yawner shifting at 5800, trapping at a little over 6k.

I don't have the receipts anymore, but it wasn't as "cheap" as moparbilly stated, but it worked.... for a long time.

......but the small block has brought back the "fun" for me!